


Newt Should Really Learn To Say No

by orphan_account



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 19:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 66,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3084623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt should really put more effort into building up his resolve when it came to his friend Thomas. It would definitely make his life a whole lot easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So it begins.

The dark-haired guy with the large brown eyes that was stumbling oh-so-gracefully through the door caught Newt off guard at first. Mostly because it was the last day before classes started and, considering that this was  _The Glade_ , the best college available for people with next to no money, he'd expected all students to be here several days early to get properly settled in. It was a little hypocritical of him, considering that he himself had only gotten here a few hours earlier, but looking at all the decorated rooms and flyers for campus parties, he'd been right. They'd just somehow managed to put the two exceptions of that rule into the same room.

"Name's Newt. And it seems like you're my new roommate", he introduced himself.

The brunet took the offered hand and shook it with a smile. "I'm Thomas."

Newt smiled back. "Okay, Tommy! You need any help with your stuff?"

"Oh, yeah! Thanks, dude!"

It marked the beginning of a chaotic friendship.

 

* * *

 

The day before winter break found Newt and Thomas lounging on their beds - Newt with the fifth book in the _Skulduggery Pleasant_ series and Thomas with his cell phone.

"Hey Newt!"

"Hmm?" Newt didn't even bother looking up.

"Can I ask you a favor?", Thomas asked.

"Depends on the favor."

"Well ... you know this annual family reunion I told you about?"

"Yeah. What about it?" There was a bad feeling settling in Newt's gut.

"Um ... wait, this doesn't work. I need to start at the beginning."

Now _that_ had Newt putting his book down in record time. "What have you done, Tommy?" he questioned, sounding suspicious.

Thomas seemed to shrink before his eyes. "Uh ... I maybe sort of told my mother that we're dating."

"You did _what_ now?"

Thomas shrunk even more into himself. "She was just being so annoying about me being single and I'd already told her so much about you and she thought we were dating anyway and then I told her that you wouldn't be going back to England for the break and she just assumed that you'd come along to the reunion and I just never corrected her."

Newt had watched on with narrowed eyes but at the end, he didn't bother with more than an eye roll. "That's so typically you, I can't even be bothered to be mad about it." He sighed. "Just tell her the truth then - problem solved."

"But she already told the whole family that I'd bring you as a date", Thomas replied.

That tone told Newt everything he needed to know. "I think I know what that bloody favor is. And I'm telling you 'no'!"

Thomas quickly sat up straighter, leaning toward Newt. "But you have to!"

"No."

"But I _need_ you."

"No!"

Thomas looked at him with big eyes, his lower lip jutting out just enough to be considered subtle. "Please?"

Newt couldn't tear his gaze away. _Stay strong._ "No, Tommy. Not this time!"

"But I _never_ ask you for _anything_."

"Are you bloody serious right now? You ask me for stuff all the damn time!"

"When was the last time I asked you for something?"

Newt raised an eyebrow, knowing that he'd win this one. "Literally this morning! You asked me to bring you your coffee into bed because you were too lazy to get up!"

"Okay, but the time before that!"

"Yesterday evening when you forced me to watch the new _Supernatural_ episode with you even though I'm still on the second season."

"See - you do stuff for me _all the time_. So why not do me that teeny-tiny little favor as well?" 

Newt gave him a suspicious look. "You can't just change your strategy half-way through."

"This is not the time for honorable fights, Newt. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do when he wants to survive his aunt Ingeborg." Thomas looked so dead serious that Newt couldn't help but grin.

Thomas's face brightened at that. "Does that smile mean you'll help me?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "I guess."

Thomas jumped up and flung himself across the gap between their beds. Newt cringed at the impact, uncomfortable with the warmth of the body pressed against his but not shrugging it off just yet.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you! I owe you so big, man!"

"Just please get off me!"

Thomas pulled back, still smiling brightly. "I promise, it won't be too bad. And it's only for two weeks."

Two weeks was a really long time, especially when one happened to have personal space issues. Being stuck with Thomas, the touchy-feeliest motherfucker on the planet, and said motherfucker's entire family who were all very much aware of that behavior sounded like hell. They'd expect hugs and hand-holding and ... kisses. Oh god, what had he just agreed to?

Newt's thoughts must have shown on his face because Thomas's giddiness shifted into a look filled with sympathy. "Okay, maybe it will be bad - for you at least. But just a little bit."

"I regret it already", Newt mumbled.

"Sorry, bro - no backing out anymore! You already agreed."

The feeling of impending doom grew stronger by the second.

 

* * *

 

**Day 1**

They were driving along a busy highway with Thomas behind the wheel and Newt riding shotgun. Their duffel bags were on the backseat and the car stereo blasted _500 Miles_ because Thomas was an asshole. Newt should have never agreed to this.

They reached their destination after an agonizing amount of five hours. Newt had no idea how he'd managed to let Thomas live. They parked beside eight other cars in front of a huge wooden holiday home that was already sporting Christmas decorations in every window. They picked up their bags and climbed the front steps to ring the doorbell. Within a second, the door flew open, revealing a woman that had to either be permanently positioned right on the other side or owner of a teleportation device.

She was short with fire-red dyed hair and more make-up than Newt had ever seen on a single individual.

"Toooom!" she squealed and pulled Thomas into a bone-crushing hug that caused him to drop his bag.

"Hey Ingeborg", Thomas gasped.

Newt bit back the smile threatening to break free.

Almost half a minute passed before she let go of her nephew and turned to Newt, who felt his eyes widen in fear.

"And you must be Newt! Tom's mother has told me so much about you." She pinched Newt's cheek between her long fingernails. "But she never mentioned how gorgeous you are!" she cooed. "What a beautiful young man, Tom. You need to hold on to this one or somebody will snatch him away right under your nose." She dropped her hand.

It took all of Newt's willpower not to raise his hand and rub the pulsating spot on his face.

"Now come on in! Chuck will show you to your room!" She ushered them inside with a bright smile, before running of with frequent screeches of "CHUCK!"

Newt took the opportunity to massage the throbbing spot on his face. "I think she tore a muscle."

"I think she cracked most of my ribs", Thomas replied, rubbing at his chest.

"That's one intense lady", Newt admitted. "I thought you were kidding when you told me about her."

Thomas looked at him with wide eyes. "Oooh _heell_ no. I would never joke about that woman. I used to have nightmares about her when I was little."

A short, curly-haired boy appeared at the end of the hallway, drawing Newt's attention.

"Hey, Chuck", Thomas greeted the boy, giving him a fist bump.

"Yo! Seems like you two just got ingeborged." Chuck's grin was gleeful as he passed them by and started heading up the stairs.

Newt picked up his bag and waited for Thomas to do the same before he started climbing the steps.

"Yeah. I think she's been doing push-ups - that hug hurt more than the one last year", Thomas said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did", Chuck replied.

The upper floor was made up of a corridor lined with doors on both sides. Chuck didn't even pause to think before he led them to the third door on the right. "That's yours!" he announced, rapping his knuckles against the wood. 

Newt nodded. "Thanks, Chuck."

"No problem. I'll see you downstairs for lunch!"

"Yeah, thanks dude!" Thomas smiled as he watched the short boy saunter away. Only when he'd disappeared down the stairs did he open the door and step through.

Newt followed closely behind, his eyes darting around the room to take everything in. It was pretty big with a glass door leading out onto a small balcony. The walls were lime-green with and printed with an ugly pattern that looked inspired by his grandma's home. To his right where two other doors - presumably bathroom and closet - separated by a stretch of wall that was half-covered by a chest of drawers topped with an average-sized TV. To his left was a king-sized bed flanked by two small nightstands.  _Wait ... o_ _nly one bed?!_

"There's only one bed", Newt repeated out loud after closing the door behind him.

Thomas, who'd already walked past him and dumped his duffel bag, was now throwing himself onto the bed. With his hands folded under his head and his eyes closed, he seemed rather unfazed by the situation. "Yeah - what did you expect? They all think we're a couple."

Newt slowly let his bag slide to the floor. "But, but ... I _need_ my space. At least when I'm sleeping."

Thomas shrugged, still having his eyes closed. "You can sleep on the floor if you want but I'm sleeping on here. This mattress is _heaven_."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor", Newt grumbled, walking over to the bed and sitting down on the edge. "I hate you for making me do this."

Thomas finally looked at him. "And I accept that hatred and promise to try and stick to my side of the bed."

Newt gave him an incredulous look. "You _never_ stick to your side. You're always all octopus-arms and sleep-cuddling."

"That was _one time_ ", Thomas protested.

"And I'm scarred for life by it!"

"I didn't mean to fall asleep on your bed! And anyway: it's not my fault that you have personal-space issues."

"What's so bad about wanting to keep a respectable distance?"

Thomas sat up and looked at Newt with fake-shock on his face. "Touching is a beautiful thing! It's showing affection for somebody you care about and letting them know that they're not alone."

"I don't need to invade somebody's personal space to do that", Newt argued.

"Then how do you do it?"

"I tell them."

Thomas frowned at him. "You never told me anything."

Newt gave him a smirk. "Then what does that tell you?"

Thomas gasped and put a hand to his heart. "I am deeply wounded. I think this relationship is unhealthy and that we should split up!"

"Who's splitting up?" 

Newt's head shot around to see a tall dark-haired woman standing in the doorway.

"MOM!" Thomas shouted, jumping up and near tackling his mother.

The woman laughed happily and hugged her son back.

"I missed you, mom!"

"I missed you too, Tom." She rubbed her son's back affectionately, her touch lingering even as she pulled away to look at Newt. "And I see you've brought your boyfriend!"

Newt's manners made him get to his feet and approach her with a hopefully friendly-looking smile. "Hello, ma'am. Pleasure to meet you."

She smiled at him and grabbed the offered hand with both of hers. Newt tried his best to not show his discomfort at the body-heat radiating off her hands. "What a polite young man you are. And please call me Jody."

"I'm Newt."

Unlike with Thomas, her hands thankfully didn't linger and she soon took a small step back. "I just wanted to let you boys know that lunch will be ready in ten minutes in case you want to change or anything."

"Thanks, mom."

She gave them another bright smile before walking away, leaving Thomas to close the door.

As soon as she was out of sight, Newt wiped his hand on his pants. 

"What do you think, t-shirt or button down?" he asked as he picked up his duffel bag and dropped it onto the bed.

Thomas shrugged as flopped down on the bed. "Doesn't matter. They'll be too distracted by your face anyway."

"Well, you're not helping", Newt muttered, eventually settling for a dark-blue button-down and gray jeans.

Ignoring Thomas who'd started to rummage through his own clothes, Newt headed into the bathroom. At least he'd meant to. Instead, he found himself face to face with an empty closet. Sighing, he didn't acknowledge Thomas's snickers behind him and side-stepped to the right door. 

Ten minutes later, he reappeared to the image of Thomas spread out on the bed, channel surfing. "Someone's dressed all fancy." Thomas grinned as he watched Newt roll up his sleeves. "You want to impress your future in-laws, huh?" The joke earned him a ball of Newt's old clothes to the face, though he didn't seem too bothered as he pushed it off his head.

"I'll happily go in my bloody pajamas if you'd like."

"Nah, I appreciate it. Having a gorgeous, well-dressed boyfriend makes me look good."

Newt snorted at the compliment and sat down next to his friend, leaving a respectable distance. "Don't we have to be downstairs?" he asked after a couple of minutes.

"Nah, they always take half an hour longer than they assume so we still have some time."

"Shouldn't we help them with the food or something?"

"We'll have kitchen-duty soon enough, believe me. Enjoy the free time while it lasts."

 

* * *

 

They didn't head downstairs until fifteen minutes later.

The small door-less corridor that they'd found themselves in upon first arrival led into a large open area made up of a living and dining room. In the far corner stood a Christmas behind two large couches, and the wooden pillars supporting the ceiling were all wrapped in bright sparkly lights and garlands.

The people running back and forth fit into the aesthetic with their comfortable, warm-looking clothes as they stacked the large dining table with bowls and plates of food. The only ones not helping were an elderly woman and Chuck who were already seated and playing cards.

Newt barely had time to take it all in before they were jumped by Ingeborg. "Oh, my two gorgeous boys, sit down, sit down. Lunch will be ready in a second."

Newt complied and took a seat next to Chuck while Thomas exchanged a few more words with Ingeborg, the smile on his face clearly forced.

Once Thomas approached the table, he pulled his chair closer to Newt before sitting down.

"What are you doing?" Newt whispered.

"I don't want to sit so close to Ingeborg", Thomas answered, voice low.

For five minutes, Newt entertained himself with watching Chuck clearly lose the game, as people around them searched out their chairs and got settled down. By now, there was enough food on the table to feed a small army.

Once everything had started to quiet down, the elderly woman next to Chuck spoke up. "Welcome, everybody to our sixty-third family reunion!"

 _Holy shit!_   _How far back do Tommy's genes go? Ötzi?_

"I'm proud to see everybody has made it here once more! And this year, I'd also like for you all to welcome a new addition to the family!" She looked past Chuck at Newt who could feel his face heat up as all the attention shifted onto him. 

_We're not bloody married!_

"His name's Newt!" Thomas helpfully offered.

Newt glared at him.

Thomas responded with a sunny smile.

There were a few mumbled "hellos" "welcomes" and bright smiles from all around the table that Newt had no idea how to respond to. 

"Now, let's start eating!"

Newt had never heard more beautiful words.

He politely watched and waited until everybody had plated their food before he started to take some himself.

"So, Newt. Are you a vegan like Tom here?" some across the table asked.

"Uh, no. I'm a vegetarian, though", Newt replied. He should've seen this coming - of course they'd be asking all sorts of questions.

"How did you two meet?" somebody else questioned.

"He's my roommate in college."

"How long have you been dating?" Again another person.

"Eight months", Newt blurted.  It was the first thing that had popped into his head.

"Would you guys just let him eat?" Thomas cut in, clearly annoyed.

"We're just curious, honey", Jody said. "You can't blame us. You've never brought somebody along before."

"And I'll never bring him again if you keep treating him like that."

Newt poked at his food as he waited for the conversation to move on to other things before he allowed himself to relax and start eating again. Still the discomfort lingered all throughout the meal.

 

* * *

 

 

After lunch, somebody announced that it was time to watch _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_. Apparently it was a tradition.

Newt and Thomas stayed behind for a bit to help carry the dishes into the kitchen, causing them to be the last ones to get to the living room. All three couches were already piled with people and there were only two armchairs available, one of which was taken by the grandmother. Eyeing the free chair, Newt turned to Thomas.

"You take the floor", he whispered.

"They'll expect us to share", Thomas murmured.

"I don't want to share."

"This is a family of affectionate people, they have expectations so if you want us to be convincing, you've gotta get used to this."

"I want to go home", Newt whined quietly as Thomas grabbed his wrist and started dragging him across the room.

Thomas didn't hesitate as he sunk into the cushions and pulled Newt down with him. For a few moments, Newt couldn't help but wiggle around, until at least his butt wasn't touching Thomas but the armchair. Thomas gave him the space to move for a bit longer before he wrapped his arms around Newt, giving him no other choice but to lean against Thomas's chest. The entire endeavor would have been far easier if they weren't both so goddamn tall.

Newt took a few deep breaths as he tried to relax but it was so strange, being this close to somebody. He wasn't used to having his legs entangled with anything but sheets, and this radiating heat against his side. He could literally hear Thomas's _breathing_ right next to his ear.

"Relax, Newt", Thomas whispered. "It's just me."

Newt squirmed a little as he felt the rumble of Thomas's voice against him. Thomas's only response was to tighten his hold around Newt's middle.

Newt really hated this. He was already grumpy and worn out from the long drive, annoyed by all of the attention and physical contact, and by now there was also an insistent pounding in his head from the noise created by over a dozen people cooped up in a single room. Closing his eyes to center himself, he took a deep breath and tried to force his muscles to relax. _So much body heat._ _All that touching skin. I can feel his bloody breath in my hair. People are so weird._

And as the narrator talked over the cartoon figures on screen, Newt tried to keep himself from combusting. Steady breaths.

 

* * *

 

There was an inaudible voice in his ear, trying to rouse him. Newt pushed his face further into his pillow. "Just five more minutes. It's so warm here."

"You two are so cute together." The voice barely registered in Newt's brain.

"Newt", a familiar voice whispered. "I think it's in your own best interest that you wake up right now."

The breath of the speaker puffed against Newt's skin. And now that he thought about it, his literal bed was moving against him as well. The soft veil that had been shielding him from the world was brutally pulled away, leaving him panicked. He quickly pushed off the person he'd been sitting on, scrambling away. Unfortunately he hadn't been accounting for their entangled legs, causing him to crash the floor with an 'oomph' as his back collided with the carpet. With his eyes wide open in confusion and terror, he found Thomas looking down at him in a mix of confusion, amusement and concern.

The memories came crashing down on Newt, reminding that he'd probably fucked up just now. Preparing himself for the worst, he took a second to himself before he faced the people staring at him. Some of them had jumped up from their seats, probably to check if he was okay. He hoped his face didn't look as red as he feared it to be.

"Are you alright?" Thomas asked. He must have gotten to his feet while Newt had been staring at everybody else because now he was was standing over Newt, his hand outstretched.

Newt quickly shuffled back a few inches and got up by himself, straightening out his clothes. "I'm okay, I'm fine. Just a little disoriented, is all."

He could feel the eyes on him, their gaze burning into his skin, but he refused to meet them.

"That was odd", somebody commented, his voice low enough to suggest that he hadn't meant for it to be heard by them.

Thomas didn't hesitate to put an arm around Newt's waist, pulling him close. "He's just always a little confused after a nap." Thomas pressed a small kiss to Newt's cheek. "Right, babe?"

Newt let the embarrassment wash over him. This moment would haunt him until his dying days. He longed for his own room, his own bed, far far away from prying eyes and noisy relatives.

"You boys had a long day." Jody's voice was warm and caring. "How about you go up and rest for a while? I'll get you when dinner is ready."

"That'd be great!" Thomas replied, relief evident in his voice. "Thanks, mom!"

Newt shot her a grateful smile while Thomas guided him away with the arm still firmly wrapped around his waist. Thomas didn't break the contact until they reached the stairs.

The walk upstairs was filled with tense silence. Only once the door had fallen close behind them did Newt allow himself to relax. One look at the bed was enough to fill Newt with urge to scream into one of the pillows for the next three hours. He settled for throwing himself face-first onto the mattress instead, leaving his feet and part of his shins to dangle over the edge.

"I quit! I'm done! I'm going home!" he declared, voice muffled.

"You can't! You made a promise!"

He could feel the bed dip as Thomas sat down next to him, his knee brushing against Newt's side. 

Newt rolled onto his back, giving Thomas a disbelieving look. "Do I _look_ like I care? This was the worst day of my whole bloody life and I can't go through that again, let alone thirteen times more!"

Thomas looked at him with wide shining eyes. "But you promised!"

"Don't look at me like that - it won't work! Not this time!"

Thomas pushed out his lower lip, his eyebrows drawing together. "But I need you! You just have to stay. _Please!_ "

Newt did his best to ignore the stupid feeling in his chest but it was hard when his eyes refused to pull away from the sight that was causing it. Despite his best efforts, he could feel his resolve crumbling. The realization that he was incapable of refusing this stupid dork anything made him groan in frustration. "Why do you have to be so _bloody_  good at these _stupid_ puppy eyes, you _goddamn_ _idiot_!"

Thomas gave him a sweet smile. "It's a curse."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't. You _looooove_ me."

"Shut up or I'm leaving."

Thomas didn't seem any less happy as he laid down next to him and wrapped his arms around Newt, squeezing lightly. "No, you won't. You wanna know why?" His face was squished against Newt's cheek, and he was humming lowly.

"Let go of me!" Newt protested. Thomas pulled back a little, loosening his hold but not pulling fully away. Newt counted it as a win.

"You know what I think?"

"No."

"I think you're starting to enjoy the touching! You even fell asleep on me! All soft breaths and adorable sleepy-face - it was so _precious_!"

"Oh, the regret!" Newt whined as Thomas pulled him closer once more, rubbing his cheek over blonde curls.

Thomas chuckled and let go, causing Newt to quickly roll away, as far out of reach as possible. When his back collided with the headboard, he settled for lying on his stomach, the pillows feeling cool and soft under him.

Thomas grinned at him. "I've never seen you look so disheveled before - it suits you."

"You're an asshole and I hate you", Newt replied, no real heat behind his words. He made no move to fix his appearance. Now that the embarrassment had worn off, he could feel his eyes droop again.

"You keep saying that but I just don't believe you", Thomas teased, wiggling up the bed until his face rested near the pillow Newt's cheek was squished into.

"Well, you should."

"I'm sorry that I'm causing you so much trouble, you know. But I'm really happy that you're doing this for me. It's nice to not have them ask about my love life all the time."

"They're really persistent. Must be annoying to have them interrogate you every year."

"You can't even imagine. They've been doing that since I turned thirteen."

"Ugh. I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

Thomas offered a small smile. "But now you're here, right? You'll play my boyfriend and get them off my back and then I'll finally have my peace."

"I guess."

They were quiet for a while.

Thomas was the one who broke the silence. "I'm sorry for the kiss. I know you hate the touching but I was scared that they'd see through the act and I needed to distract them."

"It's okay, I get it", Newt reassured. "I suppose you're really affectionate in your relationships."

Thomas shrugged. "My first relationship was when I was twelve and it was with a girl. It lasted for all of two weeks before she left me for this guy called Alby. After that, there was only three guys and none of them lasted longer than a month."

"You dated a girl? Heteronormativity, huh?"

"My arch-nemesis."

"I can relate."

Thomas quirked a small smile. He was quiet for a few moments. "How do you do it?"

"Huh?"

"How do you deal with relationships when you don't like physical closeness?"

Newt considered lying for all of two seconds before deciding on the truth. "I don't. I just-" He sighed. "I guess I always thought I'd just find a person I don't mind to be close with. Hasn't happened yet, I suppose."

"Sucks."

They were silent again. It was a comfortable silence, one that didn't urge to be filled with talking or music. It was something Newt was grateful for because he'd always believed that it spoke of a far closer bond than constant chatter did. 

"Wanna see what's on TV?" Thomas asked after about ten minutes of shared staring at the ceiling.

"Sure."

 

* * *

 

The knock at the door came at a few minutes after 7pm.

"Dinner is ready!" Jody announced through the door.

"Okay!" Thomas called back but remained laying down for a few more minutes before he switched off the TV.

Newt waited for Thomas to get up before he bothered to crawl out of the sheets himself. He did his best to straighten his shirt and tame his hair while Thomas just headed for the door, not bothering to look anything more than someone who'd just gotten out of bed.

With his hand on the doorknob, Thomas quirked a smile. "You ready to feel my affection?" 

Newt pulled his eyebrows together. "That sounded dirty."

Thomas smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Newt headed past Thomas, making sure to bump their shoulders together as he did.

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner was mostly filled with polite chatter about nothing specific, making it easier for Newt to handle. Unlike what followed.

Before they gathered in the living room, somebody came up with the brilliant idea of playing charades which was Newt's worst nightmare. He hated being stared at, having never been one to enjoy too much attention. He was fine in larger friend groups but a whole bunch of strangers that were just dying to pry into his private life? No thanks.

Sitting on the armrest of Thomas's chair, he'd somehow managed to get out of acting something out himself, leaving him with only the duty to help guessing. Which he was terrible at. These people seemingly no clue of what actual animals looked or behaved like and some of the fictional characters were created decades before he was even born. And then it was Thomas's turn.

He'd barely shifted his posture before Newt got it.

"Gollum!" 

"Correct!"

The others seemed confused. "What?" 

"Redo!" somebody else demanded.

Thomas thought for a few seconds before starting up again. It took all of two seconds.

"Whomping Willow!" 

"He's right!" 

"How do you guys do that?" Chuck asked. "To me that looked like a monkey on speed!"

"Chuck!" Jody called.

"We have a mind-link", Thomas explained.

Newt chuckled. "No, I'm just used to his spastic motions by now."

"He's lying. It's a mind-link."

 

* * *

 

After they were done playing, the first people started to excuse themselves. Newt and Thomas quickly took their chances and followed suit. 

Upstairs, Newt called first shower and changed into his pajamas right after. With his teeth brushed, Newt exited the bathroom and found Thomas rolling off the bed to take his turn.

By the time he came back, Newt was was already dozing off, lulled in by the sound of the shower and TV.

He barely registered Thomas sliding into bed beside him.

"I'm still not happy with this sleeping arrangement", Newt mumbled, followed by a yawn.

"Well, unless you wanna sleep on the floor, you're gonna have to deal with it", Thomas replied.

He turned off the TV about twenty minutes later, rustling the sheets as he slid further down the mattress.

"Night, Newt", he said sleepily.

"Night, Tommy." Newt wasn't even sure if he'd said the words out loud or just thought them.

About thirty minutes later, Newt startled awake as an arm wrapped around his middle and pulled him closer to a warm body. A leg wrapped itself around his and warm breath ghosted over his hair.

"Tommy!"

No reaction.

"Tommy, let me go!"

He heard a small sigh behind him as he was squeezed even tighter.

"I hate you", he muttered, trying to wind himself out of the embrace. The leg was now wrapped around his knees, effectively stopping him from squirming.

He groaned in defeat and let himself be cuddled. It didn't take him too long to drift off again.


	2. Day 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an overwhelming about of positive feedback! Holy shit! Thanks so much, guys!

**Day 2**

Newt was the one who woke up first that day, feeling too warm and trapped by the body still wrapped around his. He started wiggling around but was only squeezed tighter.

 _"Goddamnityoubloodybastard_ ", he muttered as he kept squirming.

He really thought it couldn't get any worse until Thomas tried turning onto his back which ended with him falling off the bed and - of course - he just had to take Newt with him. With a loud crash that must have echoed through the entire house, Thomas hit the floor, Newt ungracefully falling on top of him before rolling off and landing right beside him.

Thomas groaned in pain and just lay there, letting the pain sink in.

"Couldn't you have gone down on your own? Why did you have to take me with you?" Newt asked, holding his head where it had forcefully connected with Thomas's chin.

"This feels almost as bad as the time I fell down the marble stairs in Rome." Thomas's voice was laced with pain.

Newt had to hold back the laughter as he imagined the scenario in his head.

"You're totally laughing at my pain, aren't you?"

Newt looked at Thomas. _He isn't even looking at me ... how does he_ do _that?_ "Maybe. But only on the inside."

"You're evil."

"This is destiny making you pay for what you've put me through."

Thomas groaned again as he turned onto his side. "I don't see how this is fair."

Newt got up off the floor and took pity on his friend, helping him up.

"This was a terrible start into the day", Thomas said as he flopped back down on the bed, feet still touching the ground.

"At least you had a good night's sleep - I kept waking up because a bloody octopus was wrapped around me the whole night."

"I did the thing, huh?" Thomas sounded sheepish.

Newt just glared at him, hoping Thomas's apparent supernatural powers would sense it.

"It's not my fault! I can't control what I do when I'm asleep! It just ... happens."

"You're sleeping on the floor tonight", Newt decided.

Thomas sat up. "That's not fair!"

"I don't care. I had a sleepless night while you were out cold - now it's time to swap."

"But, but ..."

"No buts!" Newt cut him off.

Thomas looked like he was about to protest when a chuckle escaped him.

"It's the 'buts', isn't it?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're worse than a five-year-old."

Thomas grabbed Newt's wrist and pulled him onto the bed. "Now back to the floor-thing."

Newt pulled out of Thomas's grasp. "This is not open for discussion, Tommy. I need to sleep."

"So do I! Just one more chance, okay? I'll find a way. Maybe I could cuddle a pillow or something!" Thomas looked at Newt with big eyes. "Just one more chance. Please."

Newt felt his defenses crumble. "You can't keep _doing_ this!"

"What do you mean?"

"Giving me that ..." Newt gestured to Thomas's face. "... look. With the big eyes and the pout and stuff. It's not fair."

"Does that mean I'll get to sleep on the bed again?"

Newt rolled his eyes, sighing in defeat.

Thomas smiled happily at the expression but before he could say something, Newt cut in.

"This is you last chance. If you get too close I'll throw you off the bed and take the pillows and blanket."

Thomas enveloped his friend in a big hug. "Thank _you_! I promise, I'll be good."

Newt immediately started to squirm. "I changed my mind! You can't even stay out of my personal space for five bloody seconds."

Thomas pulled back. "No take-backs, Newt!" He jumped up. "Let's go get breakfast! I'm dying for Mom's vegan pancakes!" Reaching down, he grabbed Newt's wrist, tugging him to his feet and out of the room.

Downstairs, everybody was already up and dressed which made Newt felt awkward and weirdly vulnerable in his pajamas. Using his free hand, he tried to at least straighten out some of his messy bed hair.

Unlike him, Thomas didn't seem to care, he didn't even look at them as he dragged Newt along into the kitchen where Jody was already waiting with a stack of pancakes at the stove.

She greeted them with a smile. "Hey, boys! I already made you breakfast. I hope you like vegan pancakes, Newt."

"If they're anything like Tommy's, I'm sure they'll be amazing. Thanks, Jody." He accepted the plate Thomas handed over to him and joined him at the counter, spinning his bar stool a little so he was slightly facing Newt.

"Tom has cooked for you?" Jody asked, sounding surprised.

"He makes breakfast every Saturday", Newt explained.

"I didn't even know he could turn on the stove without burning down the whole kitchen."

"There were some accidents every now and again", Newt admitted.

She laughed.

"Could we change the topic?" Thomas asked, his voice slightly raised.

Newt grinned at him. "Aw, Tommy - are you embarrassed?" The comment earned him a light kick against the shin. "Hey! I'm just chatting with your mother here! Don't you want us to get to know each other?" He shot Thomas a pointed look, smirking a little.

"Don't let him fool you, mom", Thomas said, his narrowed eyes never leaving Newt. "He might look like a sweet little angel but he's actually Satan!"

 _"_ _Tom!"_  Jody scolded him.

"You already turned her against me! How did you _do_ that?"

Newt couldn't help the laugh.

Jody shook her head at them, but there was a smile on her face that told Newt she approved of their "relationship". "Anyway, boys. I'll go help Ingeborg with the preparations. Put your dishes in the sink when you're done."

Thomas had his mouth stuffed with pancakes but still spoke up. "Pwepawations fo' wha'?"

Jody wrinkled her nose at him but didn't say anything. "We're go hiking today."

Thomas almost choked on his food. "What?" he wheezed.

"Yes. We'll leave at eleven. Please be ready in time." With that she left.

Thomas waited until she was out of earshot before he let out a groan. "I _hate_ hiking."

Newt waited until he could comfortably swallow before replying. "Yeah, I'm not a big fan either. When I was around four I broke my leg in six places while hiking. I had a limp for over almost seven years and the physical therapy was awful. When I put too much strain on it, I can still feel pain."

"Wow - that sucks", Thomas said. "Must've gotten you out of PE though." He froze for a second, his eyes widening with his revelation. "Do you think that'll get us out of going?"

Newt chuckled. "Eat your pancakes, Tommy."

 

* * *

 

They got dressed in jeans, thick wool socks, t-shirts, hoodies and thick jackets. But since the snow was almost a foot high with no sign of it melting anywhere, it was freezing outside and not even the layers would be able to protect them.

"Put on a beanie, Newt!" Thomas insisted for the third time, already wearing a dark blue one himself.

"No!"

"You'll get cold ears!"

"These things itch and I'm _not_ putting it on! Now let it go! They're probably all waiting for us already." Newt tried to get past Thomas and reach the door but his friend was nothing if not stubborn.

"Put on the hat and we'll go", Thomas pushed, keeping his back right up against the doorknob.

Newt glared at him. "You're not my bloody mother!"

"If she were here she'd tell you to put it on, too!"

Newt groaned in frustration, ducking his head. Thomas didn't hesitate as he pulled the fabric over Newt's hair and ears.

"I hate you", Newt reminded him.

"I know.

When they got downstairs everybody was still busy getting dressed, shouting orders and checking lists. And since they were all gathered near the door, Thomas and Newt couldn't even get off the stairs.

"It's like a bee hive", Newt muttered.

"Just louder", Thomas replied.

Ten minutes later, the door was finally opened and people started to squeeze outside. The two men waited until everybody had left before taking the last few steps to join them, making sure to firmly close the door behind them.

Ingeborg was already waiting on the porch. "Is everybody here?" she asked.

A few affirmative shouts from the crowd were the reply.

Ingeborg locked the door before she mingled in with the crowd. There was a person in a bright orange hat that took the lead and guided the group to a thin path leading uphill.

Newt and Thomas didn't even have to exchange words to know that they'd be lingering at the back. It didn't take long for Chuck to join them.

"I can't believe they're forcing us to go outside", he complained.

"Yeah, they usually don't do that until _at least_ the fifth day", Thomas replied.

"Maybe they're trying to impress you." Chuck narrowed his eyes at Newt. "This is _your_ fault."

"Why would hiking impress me?" Newt asked.

Chuck shrugged. "How would I know? I'm not one of them."

"Well, they're _neither impressive nor fun_!" Thomas shouted, causing a few people to turn around and look at them.

Newt lowered his head in embarrassment. "Why did you do that?"

Thomas shrugged. "Just thought they should know that nobody likes hiking."

Chuck snickered. "I'm sure it was Ingeborg's idea - she's the only one that likes this sorta stuff."

The next fifteen minutes were spent in silence. When they reached the bottom of the hill, Thomas's expression dropped.

"It looked less steep from back there", he noted as they started the ascent.

Chuck was breathing a little heavier already. "I hate these family reunions."

Newt said nothing. He'd rather safe his breath for what was to come.

Another thirty minutes passed that ended with them at the bottom of a steeper hill behind the one they'd just conquered. Life sucked.

The hour that followed was the frozen equivalent of hell, but at least afterwards they got to walk downhill for once. Looking at the row of people in front of him, he spotted Thomas's grandma at the very front. _Damn_ , that woman was fit for her age. By now, the group was spread further apart as some proved to be in better shape than others. Still, the three youngest had made sure to keep at the very end to avoid forced conversation. Not that it would even be possible. At this point everybody was just panting.

"I ... hate you", Newt bit out.

Thomas nodded. "That's ... okay. I understand."

"I hope ... it's all ... downhill ... from ... here", Chuck chocked out.

It took about fifteen minutes for the three of them to adjust their breathing back to normal. Newt had almost forgotten that it was supposed to be painless.

"I can't feel my nose anymore", Thomas informed them.

"I think they'll have to amputate half my fingers", Chuck told them as he held up his deep red hand for a second before he shoved it back in his pocket.

"I'm just numb all over." Newt shivered. At this point, he couldn't feel his thighs, hands and face anymore. And his scalp was itching because of the stupid beanie.

"I think we're still heading away from the house. How much longer are they gonna do this to us?" Thomas asked, rubbing his hands together before stuffing them back into his coat pockets.

"I'll go ask my mom!" Chuck announced as he quickened his step to get caught up to the woman a few feet ahead of them.

"We should've stayed in our room. They probably wouldn't even have noticed that we're gone", Newt said grumpily.

"They would've noticed, believe me. And, I mean, it could be worse", Thomas replied, still sounding too cheery for Newt's liking.

" _How?_ How could this be any worse?"

"Ingeborg could be talking to us. It could be snowing or - even worse - hailing. The hills could've been frozen so that we'd keep falling on our faces."

Newt just gave a low sound as reply.

A few minutes passed before Chuck came back. "Mom said it'll still be at least another hour."

Newt and Thomas groaned in frustration and despair.

Another two minutes passed.

Thomas had the epiphany that now was the perfect time to sing Disney songs. It was then that Newt realized Thomas had been right - it could be worse.

After the first three lines, Chuck decided to join in.

" _Let It Go_ is not even a duet", Newt grumbled. No one listened. He really hated his life.

 

* * *

 

At last, they got back to the house.

They all took of their shoes on the porch and carried them inside before heading up to their rooms to get changed.

Newt and Thomas settled for warm sweatpants and fresh wool socks, both keeping their backs to each other as they did. Back downstairs, Newt could feel his leg ache a little but it was bearable so he didn't mention it. They found everybody spread out in the living room under mountains of blankets, handing out cookies, tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

Newt automatically headed for the armchair, Thomas at his heels. Grabbing the blanket folded over the back, he settled on the arm rest and waited for Thomas to take a seat before he threw it over the both of them.

The TV was playing some romantic comedy that Newt might have seen before, but since they were all quite similar and starring Hugh Grant he couldn't be too sure. They'd been warming up for only three minutes when a commercial break came on that was muted by whoever was in charge of the remote.

"I feel like we've all barely been talking. How about we play a little game?" Ingeborg suggested.

It took all of Newt's remaining concentration to keep from rolling his eyes. He really wasn't in the mood. His leg was aching and he was exhausted. The last thing he needed right now was forced interaction.

"Oh, yes, wonderful! What do you suggest?" The person that had just spoken was somebody Newt could've sworn he'd never seen before.

"How about two-truths-one-lie?"

"Boring! How about story time?"

Shouts of agreement were thrown in.

"I thought story time was a segment of that dude on vine", Newt muttered.

Thomas chuckled. " That too, but this is different. You see, everybody gets a name and has to tell a story about them, mostly it's just really embarrassing."

"Boys! You take each other since Newt doesn't know anyone else!" Jody told them.

Loud talking erupted as everybody tried to find somebody to talk about.

"Don't you dare pick something embarrassing!" Newt threatened.

Thomas just gave him a smug smile as he wrapped an arm around Newt's waist, dragging him down onto his lap. "I'd never _dare_."

Newt tried to push back onto the armrest at first but quickly gave up when he caught the eye of some middle-aged person across the room.

"Don't squirm!" Thomas whispered. "You're my boyfriend, remember?"

Newt poured all of his hatred into the look he gave Thomas but was met with indifference. 

Thomas just pulled the blanket properly over them and cuddled Newt closer. "Mmh ... nice and cozy, don't you think?"

"Pins and needles more like it. Sometimes I hate the warming up even more than the freezing." 

Thomas started rubbing lightly up and down Newt's arms before taking hold of his hands. "Holy shit! Your hands are cold."

"It's bloody cold outside, what did you expect?"

"You boys ready?" Jody asked, making the men look up.

"Yup, we're good!" Thomas replied even though neither of them had even started to think of what to say. 

Thankfully, they were sitting closest to the wall, leaving them as last in line.

Listening to all the stories left Newt with far more knowledge about these people than he ever asked for. There was so much that just had him downright horrified, that made him wonder if he'd ever be able to look at any of them the same. Then there were stories about some of them as toddlers or small children, there was puking and pooping and Newt just really didn't want to hear it. Thinking about it, he wondered how many tales like this Thomas had had to endure over the years, considering it was by far not the first time they'd played this.

When it was their turn, Thomas went first. Newt didn't mind, since it meant he'd get to pick his story based on how badly Thomas would embarrass him. Everything he'd been through thus far thanks to Thomas was already more than enough to make Newt want to give him hell.

"Okay so, a few months back, Newt and I wanted to take the train in this small town", Thomas started. "And there were like, two platforms separated by rows of train tracks. So we were standing there with a whole bunch of other kids, most of them younger than us. Apparently it was a train commonly taken by students or something but I digress.

"So we were still standing there when the announcement came that the train would stop at the other platform today, the one across from us. Problem was that we could already see the train approach and the only way to reach the other platform was through the tunnel system underneath the tracks which would take way too long, and also, we're lazy, we didn't wanna run up and down all these stairs. And even while we were still standing there, the kids around us had already started jumping the ledge and running across the tracks.

"And, peer-pressure victim that I am, I followed. So I was running across like the graceful gazelle that I am and jumped up the ledge to the other platform without incident but when I turned, I saw Newt who'd just reached the ledge. And he was like, pushing off one leg, trying to get the other up the ledge but his toes got like, caught on the edge and he just face-planted right at my feet. There were like _fifty_ people with us on that platform and everybody was staring at Newt and he went so red, it was adorable. Being the good person that I am, I helped him up while everybody else was just laughing at him. I think a few people even had their cell phones out." He smirked at Newt who was only glaring at him. "And I'm _pretty_ sure I just lost all my boyfriend gold stars because I reminded him of that."

"You're right about that last one", Newt muttered.

"Now's your chance for revenge, babe." Thomas smirked.

"So me and Tommy here, we were in this amusement park a while back", Newt started. "And you know how there's always this kiddy-area with all the toddler rides and stuff? Well, this one had a playground in that are and they had these small trampolines. They were all about a foot apart and the idea was that you could jump from one to the next without stopping.

"There was this little kid, about four or five years old, and he was doing it with ease so I suggested we'd try, too. At first, Tommy was like 'Nah, you're not getting me doing that. I'd fall and die, trust me.' But I can be quite convincing when I wanna be. So, Tommy made me go first because he's smarter than he looks. Of course, I got it on the first try without incident 'cause I'm tall and it was more walking than jumping for me. So I turned and went 'See? Easy!' Of course I hadn't considered Tommy's general clumsiness and idiocy when I suggested something that dangerous.

"The first two or three went fine but then he _somehow_ managed to get stuck his foot stuck between the springs and started flailing his arms in that spastic way of his. But instead of going down like any other human being would, he kept walking and bouncing over the last few ones until he got his foot stuck _again_ and went down. He was rolling several feet through grass and dirt until he _smacked_ into the fence, hitting his head.

"The best part was that there were all these kids standing around who'd done a perfect job doing what this grown-ass man failed at _so epically_. They were all laughing so hard they were crying, their parents just standing by trying not to laugh themselves It was one of the best things I've ever seen."

The whole group was laughing, each of them most likely perfectly capable of picturing Thomas since they must have all witnessed something similar in the past.

Newt could feel Thomas's chuckles vibrate through him.

"You'll never let me live that one down", Thomas said.

Newt grinned at him. "Never."

"You two make such a sweet couple. How did you get together?"

Newt looked at the person that had asked the question, unsure whether he'd ever spoken to them before. "Uh..."

"It just sorta developed", Thomas jumped in. "Since we share a room, we've just generally spent a lot of time together. And even when we had the chance to get outta each other's hair for a while, we sorta gravitated together until we just kinda started dating without noticing."

_He's a better liar than I thought._

"That's really lovely", someone said, their voice sounding a little bored. "Now, how about you two get us more cookies?"

"Yeah, sure", Thomas said.

Newt quickly got up, glad to have his personal space back to himself.

They headed into the kitchen where Thomas started filling one of the plates he'd taken with him while Newt leaned against the counters.

"That one dude sounded like he didn't care too much about our relationship", Newt commented.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's Todd. He's kinda ... homophobic. He used to be quite vocal about it but one year his wife just snapped and started holding this speech about acceptance and human rights and ever since then he shuts up about it. We all know it's fake but she refuses to divorce him for some reason so we tolerate him."

"That's ... I'm not sure what that is."

Thomas snorted. For a beat he was quiet, until: "I can't believe you told them that story."

"I can't believe you remember the train-incident", Newt replied.

Thomas chuckled. "I'd never forget that."

Newt cocked his head. "That was a good lie back there."

"The getting together thing?"

Newt nodded.

Thomas shrugged. "It was just the modified truth." He handed Newt the first filled plate before getting started on the second.

"What about tomorrow? Any special plans?" Newt asked.

"Because of Christmas?" Thomas gave another shrug. "We usually just sit around, exchange presents, watch movies and eat lots of food."

Newt nodded, thinking back to the present he'd gotten Thomas before this entire thing had happened. "I didn't really get you something that would make it look like we're together", he voiced.

"Then just give it to me in private, they don't need to know." Thomas winked at him before picking up the now filled plate. "We'll just tell them we wanted to do our gift-exchange in private. For _reasons_."

Rolling his eyes, Newt followed Thomas back into the living room where they sat them down on the coffee table. The others had un-muted the TV and were watching some kind of sitcom. Surprisingly, it wasn't a Christmas special.

The rest of the afternoon blurred together into movie after movie after TV-show, until it was time to get started on preparing dinner. Thomas and Newt were recruited for chopping vegetables which ended with a blood-splattered carrot after Thomas had managed to cut his finger like the clumsy idiot that he was. Jody wrapped his finger in a band-aid and sent him to set out the plates, leaving Newt to finish the salads on his own. He didn't mind since everybody was too busy with their own chores to bother him.

Dinner itself was pretty uneventful, thankfully and after their hiking adventure from hell, they all decided to head off to bed early.

 

* * *

 

Upstairs, they both fell onto the bed.

"My legs still ache like hell", Thomas groaned.

"I feel ya", Newt replied.

"How's your bad leg?"

Newt shrugged. "Barely hurts."

"You tell me if it gets worse, alright?"

"Yes, mom."

They were quiet for a while, with Thomas being the one to break the silence as per usual. "Today wasn't so bad now, was it? You know, affection-wise."

"I guess."

"Tomorrow is Christmas though."

Newt gave him a suspicious look. "What do you mean?"

Thomas shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Just saying that there will be ... touching expected of us."

Newt groaned. "I wish you'd hate this as much as I do."

Thomas looked at him. "Well, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't hate it so much so I guess it's not all that great for me either."

"You should've asked somebody else to come with you", Newt muttered unhappily.

Thomas grinned at him. "Naaah. I'm just fine with you here. It's fun to see you all grumpy but having to hide it."

"I'm glad you're enjoying my pain", Newt replied.

Thomas rolled onto his side and patted his friend on the chest. "You'll survive it."

"Could you at least keep your hands to yourself when we're alone?" Newt asked, glaring at Thomas's hand.

Thomas pulled it away and sat up, cross-legged. "Maybe you have some deep-seated issue or traumatic event that made you this distant. I mean, you should be touch-starved like crazy!"

Newt looked at him. "That's a dumb theory. And also: how could I ever be touch-starved when I have you around all the bloody time?"

Thomas frowned. "Have you ever analyzed your life for any ...  touch-related incidents?"

"No, but if something traumatizing would have happened, I'd know about it."

"What is it specifically, that you hate about the closeness?"

Newt lifted his hand, counting on his fingers. "The warmth, the skin-contact, the feeling of being trapped and the sound of a voice so close it makes me freak out. What I'm wondering is why _you_ like it."

"The warmth, the comfort, the feeling of being close to somebody I care about. That's why it's called showing _affection_." Thomas shrugged. "You know, it's reassuring to me that they feel comfortable enough with me that I can hug them or cuddle them."

Newt drew his eyebrows together. "But you do that with me all the time, _knowing_  that I don't like it."

Thomas gave him a smile. "With you it's different. Depending on the situation, I either use it to tease you or because you've done something that makes it almost impossible to hold myself back. Mostly it's the first one though."

Newt rapped his knuckles against Thomas's knee, making sure to dig against the kneecap to make it hurt at least a little. "You're a bloody idiot and I don't even know why I befriended you!"

"It's because of my great personality."

Newt huffed a laugh and sat up. "That's it, I'm going showering. The one place where you can't bother me!"

"Theoretically I could, but even I have my limits. But ... I'll stay here, in bed." Thomas wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Newt just rolled his eyes, grabbing his pajamas and disappearing through the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Half an hour later found them laying on the bed with towel-dried hair and flipping through the channels. They were both buried under the covers, about a foot of space between them.

"Look how that couple is cuddling and enjoying it", Thomas said to Newt. "That's how I feel about it."

Newt sighed. "Just give up already, Tommy. I'm never gonna bloody enjoy that kinda stuff and you'll just have to learn to deal with it."

"But I feel like I'm forcing you into something you don't want to do all the time and I hate it." Thomas slid down his pillow until he could pull the covers all the way up to his nose.

Newt watched him, feeling his gaze soften. He'd never really considered Thomas's side of the story, since  _he_ was the one that had to adjust and not Thomas. Especially since Thomas had always loved to surprise him with random attack-hugs and hair-ruffling. But then again, this was different. This was them being supervised and analyzed almost 24/7.

"I agreed to stay, didn't I?" Newt watched his friend, gaze flickering from Thomas's eyes to his mouth and back. "I mean, technically, you're still kinda forcing me but I'm letting you. I could stop you if I wanted. Easily. I could leave right now if I wanted to or tell them the truth but I won't 'cause you begged me to help and I gave in so _relax._  It's okay. _I'm_ okay."

"Okay", Thomas said but his face betrayed him.

Newt gave him a pointed look.

Thomas sighed. "I still hate that you hate it."

Newt slid further down the bed and turned onto his side, facing his friend. "I don't hate it _that_ much. I mean, you're my friend and I know you and trust you. If you were a stranger I'd have bloody murdered you a long time ago."

"But you still don't like it", Thomas stated.

"Do _you_?"

"Well ... yeah."

"Why?"

"I told you, sometimes you just do these things that make me feel..." Thomas sighed, seemingly having difficulty finding the words. "Kinda ... warm and fuzzy. It gives me this urge to hug and _physically_ show that I care. It's like, sometimes words just aren't enough, I have to _show_."

Newt frowned. "What do you mean I do _things_ that make you feel this way?"

"I dunno. Sometimes you're just sitting around, being well, _you_ , I guess. You have this sort of face, and aura that makes me want to stick close. And you're all warm and cuddly and you smell nice", Thomas added with a teasing edge.

"Now it's getting creepy, please stop."

"It's true!"

"I don't want to hear it!" Newt replied.

"You asked!"

"Not about such specifics, no."

"Don't you think I smell nice?" Thomas asked, feigning hurt.

"I don't walk around sniffing people."

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't know what I smell like. We've lived together for, what? Two years now?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "Will you stop it with the smelling if I tell you what you want to hear?"

"Only if you mean it."

"You smell great, okay? I could smell you _all day_!"

"That much sarcasm hurts, Newt."

"You brought it upon yourself."

Thomas 'pff'ed and turned his back on Newt.

"Are you giving me the cold shoulder now?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean I can change the program?"

"No."

"Why? You're not watching anyway."

"I'm still listening", Thomas replied.

Newt rolled his eyes but kept quiet.

After about five minutes he couldn't take it anymore. "Are you seriously just gonna ignore me for the rest of the day?"

"Yes", came the reply.

"Okay, I'll bite. What do I have to do to get you to turn back around?"

"A hug."

Newt cringed. He shouldn't have asked. "You hug me all the time anyway."

"I want you to hug back, just once."

"Are you serious? That's childish. And weird. _And_ creepy."

Thomas 'pff'ed again.

"Come on, Tommy, stop it."

"You know the conditions."

Newt squeezed his eyes shut. _Damn it._ "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"I'll do it."

Thomas turned around, looking at him with wide eyes. "You're serious?"

"Yes. If it makes you stop sulking."

"You know, you don't have to, right?"

Newt rolled his eyes, opening his arms. "Hug me, boyfriend!"

Thomas gave him a wide smile and wrapped his arms around Newt, pulling him into his chest. Newt returned the hold by wrapping an arm around Thomas's waist, forcing himself to relax into the touch. It was warm, Thomas's body being the constant furnace that it was. And now that it was pointed out to him, he was overly aware of the way Thomas smelled - the shampoo and soap they'd both used just a little while ago, and that underlying scent that was just pure _Thomas_. It wasn't unpleasant, not at all. In fact, the complete opposite was the case. Great. Now Newt had reached the same level of creepiness.

About five seconds into the hug, Newt started to squirm. "Okay!" he mumbled against Thomas's shoulder. "All done! Let go now!"

"Just a little longer", Thomas mumbled into Newt's hair.

"I'd rather let go now", Newt politely informed him.

Thomas squeezed him just a tiny bit tighter for a second before pulling back. He looked so happy that it made Newt almost feel bad for forcing him to let go. _Almost._

"That wasn't so bad, now, was it?" Thomas asked.

"A four point three on the bearable scale", Newt declared.

"What's the system?"

"Zero is entirely bearable and ten's I'd-rather-die-than-be-any-longer-in-this-situation."

Thomas smiled widely at that. "Than that was quite the pleasant hug. I'm a really good hugger, you know?"

Newt chuckled, dropping back onto his own pillow. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Tommy."

"I don't have to, my mom did it every day when I was a kid."

"Of course she did", Newt mumbled.

 

* * *

 

 

They watched TV for almost two more hours before switching it off and settling down for the night.

"Don't forget our agreement about the sleeping, alright?" Newt reminded Thomas.

"Aye, aye." Thomas grabbed the pillow from under his head and placed it between them, letting it serve as a barrier.

They exchanged only a few more words until Newt drifted off.

It was the middle of the night when he felt a weight settle half way on top of him.

"Oh _hell_ no", he muttered. "You bloody idiot are not getting away with this."

He could feel the arm around his waist tighten as Thomas's forehead nearly touched his temple. Newt's legs got trapped under one of Thomas's. Newt quickly used his free hand, the one that wasn't trapped between their bodies, to start patting Thomas's cheek. All it did was let Thomas huff out an annoyed breath and grab Newt's hand with his own, resting them over the Newt's heart.

Newt wiggled around a little more but eventually had to admit defeat when he realized that it would only result in Thomas finding a way to cuddle impossibly closer.

"You'll pay for this", Newt whispered. "Just you wait."

He fell asleep with Thomas's breath tickling his skin, enveloped in the familiar scent and warmth of the stupid dork he called his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the second Chapter!  
> Since the first one got such an intensely positive response, I've been scared to update but here it is!


	3. Day 3: Christmas

**Day 3: Christmas**

Surprisingly it was Thomas who woke up first that morning.

"Shit!" was the first thing Newt heard, followed by Thomas letting go of him and sitting up. "I'm _so_ sorry, I didn't mean to! _Please_ don't make me sleep on the floor!"

Newt barely registered the words, still too tired to function and definitely not in the mood to get out of the warmth and comfort the bed provided. He blinked open his eyes just a little before deciding that he very much wasn't in the mood for this discussion. "Jus' go t' sleeeeep", he mumbled and turned onto his side, his back facing Thomas. Curling into himself, he was ready to doze off again.

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"'m mad tha' ya woke me. Now shu' up and sleeeeep." Newt pulled the covers up to his cheekbones.

He could feel Thomas get off the bed.

"Where ya goin'?" Newt asked, rolling on his back a little to watch his friend.

"Downstairs. You go back to sleep, I'll see ya later." Thomas gave him a soft smile, his hand already on the doorknob.

"'kay. Have fun."

He could hear Thomas chuckle before the door closed behind him.

 

* * *

 

The next time he woke up, he actually managed to roll out of bed and head into the bathroom. Getting dressed took more conviction but he managed to put on jeans and a t-shirt without surrendering to the pull of the sheets.

Downstairs, he gave an awkward greeting to all the people in the dining area and living room before heading into the kitchen where he found Thomas in his pajamas and talking to his mother.

"I'm just saying that I'd have expected ..." Jody trailed off as she spotted Newt. She gave him a happy smile. "Good morning! You seem a lot better rested than yesterday."

"Morning, Jody. Yes, I _feel_ better, too."

"Hey, honey", Thomas said with a grin and wink as he turned around in his chair a little to face his 'boyfriend'.

Newt rolled his eyes and smacked the boy lightly over the head before putting his hand on the backrest of Thomas's chair. "What's for breakfast, _sweetheart_?"

"We talked about painful sarcasm", Thomas scolded him.

"No, _you_ talked.  _I_ didn't listen."

"I think I'll leave you boys to it", Jody said, smiling at them. "There's still Christmas preparations to be taken care of." She stood up and left the room, ruffling both their hair as she passed them.

Newt sat down on the chair now left open and kicked Thomas lightly against the shin before stealing one of his toast slices. "What were you two talking about before I interrupted?"

"Nothing."

"You're a bad liar and I can see right through it. Now tell me."

Thomas sighed before leaning over the table to get closer to Newt. "She just said that you seem a little tense around me. She was just being overprotective, don't worry about it."

Newt frowned. "So she thinks I'm treating you badly?"

"No", Thomas hurried to say. "It's just ... she'd expected us to be more affectionate like I was with my ex. You know, all hugs and kisses and heart eyes."

Newt swallowed hard at that, almost chocking on his toast. "I don't like the sound of that."

Thomas grinned at him. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Uh-huh", Newt made, not really buying it. He hadn't been around for Thomas's previous relationships but he could picture what it would look like, and it looked nothing like what they were doing.

They were quiet for a while as they both finished eating before getting up to prepare a second serving.

"About those sleeping arrangements..." Thomas spoke quietly, leaning against the counter next to Newt as they waited for the toaster. "I kinda broke my promise, I guess. But do you really want me to break my back because of it?"

"Why can't you just stay on your bloody side? How did you even manage to get over the pillow?" Newt shot back, forcing his voice to stay low.

"I think I pulled it back under my head as soon as I fell asleep. I should've seen that coming, really ... I never slept well without a pillow."

"Well, I'm not gonna go through another night of Toctopus, that much I can tell you."

"Toctopus?" Thomas asked, smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Newt shrugged. "It fits, now, doesn't it?"

"I guess. But I can't sleep on the floor! What if somebody comes in and sees us?"

"What do you bloody suggest then, huh? Got any bright ideas?"

"Not really ... but I'll come up with something. Just give me till the end of the day."

Newt rolled his eyes at Thomas's pleading look. "Okay, okay. Whatever."

After breakfast they put their dishes in the sink and left the kitchen, finding everybody gathered in the living room. They were just on the way to join them when a shout made them freeze.

"Mistletoe!" somebody called the second Newt's toes touched the carpet.

Newt's head shot up to find the offending fake greenery stuck to the ceiling.

"Shit", hissed Thomas before looking at Newt with wide eyes.

Newt was in shock, his eyes locked with Thomas's whose face was reflecting everything Newt was feeling.

 _I'm gonna have to kiss this guy. And it has to look like we've done it before._ _When did they even put up that thing?_

"Are you serious?" Thomas asked, tearing his gaze away to look at his relatives.

"It's tradition!"

"You're together anyway!"

"Just kiss already!"

"Okay, okay, chill out, guys!" Thomas turned his back to his relatives, partially shielding Newt from their prying eyes as he gently cupped Newt's cheek with his hand. "Alright, just try to not look like a deer caught in the headlights and relax. We'll be fine."

Newt just gave him a slight nod and put a hand on Thomas's waist while raising the other to his neck like he'd seen in all of these cliché movies Thomas had made him watch every other weekend. Thomas gave him a soft smile, lightly rubbing his thumb over Newt's cheek.

It was a quick kiss, just a soft brush of lips really, but _it was still Newt's first kiss_ and it was with his _friend_. His best friend. Who smelled really nice and had lips that felt even softer than they looked.

Whoops and cheers erupted from the people in the room. And when Thomas pulled back they both looked a little dazed. Thomas offered a small nod which Newt returned before they both lowered their hands, Thomas reaching out to wrap his fingers around Newt's wrist to lead him over to their usual spot on the armchair.

As the fog lifted form Newt's brain, he recalled what Thomas had told him about his conversation with Jody. So instead of waiting for Thomas to initiate contact, he chose to flop down on Thomas's lap and pull his legs up onto the armrest. Thomas seemed confused at first but quickly caught on and responded with putting his arms around Newt's middle.

"What were you guys doing before you forced us into PDA?" Thomas asked.

"Just watching TV", Thomas's grandmother answered.

Newt looked at the screen where Santa Clause 2 was on. Man, he really preferred the first one. That plastic Tim Allen was just creepy.

Whoever had the remote turned up the volume once things had settled down again.

"You okay?" Thomas whispered near Newt's ear.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

"I'm sorry that I stole your first kiss."

Newt shrugged like it wasn't a big deal even though it felt like it was. "It's alright."

Thomas gave him an apologetic smile and lightly rubbed over Newt's back before stilling again. This was uncomfortable. His neck was aching after only a few minutes, making him want to get up and find another seat but there was none and he would have raised suspicion anyway. He thought it over for a while before giving a defeated sigh and just letting his temple rest against Thomas's collarbone. It was a relieving for just a moment before it got annoying because he could no longer see the screen.

As he sat there, he could practically feel Thomas's eyes on him but refused to acknowledge it. After a few seconds, the feeling disappeared.

Maybe the solution was to switch positions. They were pretty much the same height so Thomas couldn't be that heavy.

 

* * *

 

The entirety of that morning was spent in much of the same way. Only when it was time for lunch was the TV turned off.

"Why don't you go get dressed, Tom? Newt can help me in the kitchen while you're gone", Jody suggested.

Thomas gave her a suspicious look before nodding. "Be nice to him!" he told his mother before heading upstairs.

Newt felt a sense of dread as he followed Jody through the dining area.

"We're making sandwiches and salad. Don't worry, I won't force you to touch meat or anything, you can just go ahead and cut the vegetables like yesterday."

"Okay." Newt took his place at the counter and started gathering the ingredients.

"So, how are you and Tom? Everything going well?" Jody asked, sounding like she was trying too hard to appear nonchalant.

Newt could feel himself tense. "Yeah, everything's fine. We're rarely fighting and he puts up with my moods while I put up with his energetic behavior." It wasn't even a lie, or so he told himself. He just didn't want to feel guilty for leading her on.

Rummaging through the fridge, Jody's face was out of sight for the next question. "So ... how do you feel about Tom's affectionate side? I know from his past relationships that some found him to be ... clingy. I was really worried after the third heartbreak it caused. For a while I feared that he'd given up on dating. But seeing you with him ... he seems happy."

"Uh ..." _Crap!_ "I'm not really all that big on PDA but he loves it so I've gotten used to it and ... I really don't mind. It's nice sometimes, to know that I can make him happy with something so small." He cringed inwardly. _Wow, Newt. Bloody genius you are, you might as well tell her the truth!_

She had her arms full of food as she closed the fridge door with her foot. "So, you'd rather he be different?" she asked.

"No! No. It makes him happy and I love to see him happy so it definitely works out! And, I mean, I don't  _dislike_ the hugging and- and kissing, I just ..."

"Mom! What have you done to make him ramble?"

Newt could feel an arm wrap around his waist and tried his best to lean into the touch and appear relaxed.

Jody dropped her ingredients on the counter next to Newt's and looked at her son. "I was just making friendly conversation."

"You mean you were interrogating him?"

"No, I wasn't. Right, Newt?"

Newt's eyes widened. "Y-Yeah, we were just talking. Really, Tommy, don't worry."

"Yeah..." Thomas drawled, sounding unconvinced but letting it drop. He pressed a quick kiss on Newt's cheekbone before stepping back to join his mother. "So what can I do to help?"

"You can help your boyfriend with the salad", Jody replied. "Just take the table."

"Alrighty." 

 

* * *

 

After lunch they all gathered in the living room again, Thomas and Newt strictly avoiding the mistletoe spot. Ingeborg had disappeared upstairs right after lunch but now she returned with her arms stacked full of board games. There were at least a dozen, boxes of all shapes and sizes, all of them brightly colored.

"Did she bring all of those from home?" Newt asked quietly from his spot on the armrest.

"She does that every year", Thomas whispered back. "Creepy thing is that she has new ones every year."

"Apparently she's got her own definition of playroom, huh?"

Thomas snorted.

Ingeborg put the huge stack onto the coffee table. "Now form groups and pick a game! Let's have some fun!"

Newt and Thomas were quickly joined by Chuck who'd brought  _Black Stories_  for their group. Apparently since he had the cards, it gave him the right to banish Newt and Thomas to the floor where they'd have to guess the crime. 

" _The seventh day_ ", Chuck read. " _A man went to his work for six days, the seventh day cost him his life_."

"We'll have to guess his job first", Thomas said.

"Wow, wouldn't have figured that out myself, Tommy."

"Watch your sarcasm, Newt."

"Did his work force him to travel a lot?" Newt asked.

"Not really", Chuck replied.

"Did he work with a team?" Thomas questioned.

"Nope."

 

* * *

 

**30 Minutes Later**

"So he worked in the US, in a skyscraper and with people. Alright, Tommy, we're close."

"He doesn't work in an office, you said, right?"

"Yup", Chuck answered.

"Was he a liftboy?" Newt asked after a few minutes of thinking.

"YES!" Chuck said. "Fucking finally!"

"LANGUAGE CHUCK!"

"Sorry, mom!"

"But why did he die on the seventh day?" Thomas asked.

**10 Minutes Later**

"Did he work in New York?" Newt asked.

"Yes."

"Was it 9/11?"

"YES - HALLELUJAH!"

"I don't think anyone's ever said hallelujah in reference to a terrorist attack", Newt commented.

Chuck threw the card at Newt and Thomas and jumped up. "God, I _hate_ this game!"

"Would you rather play bingo with grandma?" Thomas asked.

Chuck sat back down. "Touché."

 

* * *

 

It went on like that until 4pm when they decided to start dinner. Newt and Thomas were excused since they'd helped with lunch, allowing them to disappear upstairs.

The moment Thomas opened the door, he aimed for the bed, face-planting onto the mattress while Newt went into the bathroom to call his family and wish them a Merry Christmas. He told them that he was fine and that Thomas's family was nice and yes, everybody treated him well. His sister took the opportunity to tease him endlessly about how he was putting his "boyfriend" over her. Newt just rolled his eyes.

After he'd ended the call he bounced onto the bed next to Thomas, only to quickly get up again when he remembered Thomas's present. He'd wrapped and stored it in the chest of drawers underneath the TV. 

"Here!" Newt threw it on the bed before sitting back down.

Thomas smiled as he pulled out his own gift from underneath the bed. "Here's yours. Merry Christmas, Newt."

"Merry Christmas, Tommy."

They tore into the wrapping paper, neither of them bothering with neatness or preserving the paper.

Thomas chuckled once he'd revealed his. "The _Buffy_  DVD box-set! Are you crazy, Newt! God, this must've cost a fortune!"

"Nah, they're not that expensive anymore", Newt replied as he unwrapped his present, the box being of almost the same size and shape as Thomas'S. "The entire _Gone_ and _BZRK_ -series? Oh my god, Tommy, thank you! I've been meaning to get this for ages!"

"It's not just a gift", Thomas said, his voice earnest. "It's also a thank you."

Newt smiled softly at his friend. "Thank you, really." He set down the box carefully before pushing to his knees and enveloping Thomas in a hug. He'd definitely managed to catch Thomas off guard if the sound he made was anything to go by.

"I should give you stuff more often", he mumbled.

Newt pulled back after about 5 seconds. "Don't you dare!"

Thomas held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. I won't, promise."

They were quiet for a few minutes while they gathered the torn wrapping paper and put it in the trash can by the door. They put their presents carefully on their respective nightstands before flopping back down on the bed.

For a while, they only stared at the ceiling, both wrapped up in their own heads.

"I'm really sorry about that kiss", Thomas said quietly. "I feel so bad. Maybe they wouldn't have noticed if I'd only aimed for your cheek. I really didn't mean to steal your first one."

"It's not your fault", Newt reassured him. "It's not like you knew it would happen and anyway, there's all this bloody hype about this first kiss. But it's not like your life changes once it's gone. Most people have a really shitty first kiss anyway so it's not like I missed out on some epic experience." He wasn't just trying to convince Thomas but also himself. _It just feels like a big deal because society wants you to think that it is_.

Thomas pushed up onto his elbow, looking down at Newt. "I hope it wasn't too bad."

Newt could feel himself blush a little. "It was alright, I guess."

"So I'm a good kisser?"

"It wasn't even a proper kiss! Stop it!"

"You _liiiii_ _ked_ it, admit it."

Newt rolled his eyes (he noticed that he did that a lot these days). "Don't flatter yourself. I don't even have anything to compare it to."

"I'm gonna turn you into the most affectionate cuddle-bear, just you wait."

"Keep dreaming, Tommy. It's a good attitude."

 

* * *

 

 

They went back down for dinner soon after.

"We already exchanged gifts", Thomas told his relatives. "Just so you're not surprised later."

Ingeborg dropped her cutlery. "But why?"

Thomas leaned a little closer to Newt and further away from his aunt. "Because we wanted to do it in private."

"What about tradition, Tom?"

Thomas shrugged. "I'll still exchange family gifts."

Ingeborg sighed but picked her cutlery back up. "Okay. You kids these days, breaking all the traditions."

Thomas rolled his eyes and Newt bit back a smile.

Once they'd stacked the dishes in the sink and put the leftovers away, they brought out the cookies and gathered in the living room. The presents were already arranged underneath and around the tree and while they'd been gone, someone had pushed couches further away to leave more space for the sheer amount of them.

Since he wasn't part of the family, Newt took his seat in the armchair and watched. There were a lot of hugs, kisses and squealing to around which left Newt feeling very misplaced. He considered retreating back to their room again but just when he'd started to push to his feet, he was interrupted.

"Here, Newt."

He looked up to see Jody with a wrapped present. "For me? Really?"

She smiled. "Of course! I knew you were coming so why wouldn't I? Take it."

Newt accepted it after a beat of hesitation. He slowly started to peel off the wrapping paper, leaving behind a Christmas jumper with a skiing snowman wearing a scarf that was sewn onto it as a separate piece of fabric. He couldn't hold back the chuckle. "That is fantastic, oh wow."

Jody laughed. "Yeah, I know, it's cheesy but Thomas insisted we get you this one. I wanted to take the dark blue one with the snowflakes."

"That sounds like him." Newt stood up and gave Jody a quick hug, feeling like it was the right thing to do. "Thank you, really. I didn't expect anything and I didn't really know about this until we were almost heading out so I didn't get you anything. I'm sorry."

She waved it off. "Nonsense. I wouldn't want you to get me anything. You're still in college and I bet you're always short on money so I'd have just felt bad."

Newt gave her a soft smile. "You're a really amazing lady, Jody. I see were Tommy gets his it from."

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad he's found you."

"Whatcha two talking about?" Thomas cut in. He shoulder up close to Newt, automatically putting his arm around Newt's waist. "I see you've got our present! Come on, put it on!"

"Now?"

"Yes, come on!" Thomas dropped his hold to take the jumper and pull it over Newt's head. With a defeated grown, Newt tagged along and pulled his arms through the sleeves.

Thomas took a contemplative step back, eyeing him up skeptically. After a moment, he gave an approving nod and his face lit up. "Look at grumpy little adorable boyfriend, mom." He bumped his shoulder against his mother's. "With the tousled hair and pout."

"And I wouldn't say he's little, exactly. He's actually taller than you", Jody pointed out.

"I hate you, Tommy", Newt said grumpily and crossed his arms over his chest. "I feel ridiculous."

"Aw, don't be like that!" Thomas wrapped his arms around Newt, swaying them a little before pressing a quick kiss to Newt's cheek and letting go.

Newt threw him a glare, causing Thomas to ruffle Newt's hair.

"Don't be mad! You look really cute and I'm sure people would love to see you in lighter colors for once." Thomas cocked his head. "Though I do appreciate the tall, dark and handsome aesthetic you're usually gunning for."

Newt huffed a sigh and dropped his arms. "Being mad at you shouldn't be that hard, it's not fair."

"If it were easy I don't think I'd still be alive so I guess it's a self-preservation thing."

Newt snorted. "You're a bloody idiot."

"But I'm _your_ bloody idiot."

Newt gave him a soft smile. "Please don't say bloody in this context, it sounds wrong."

"I see your point, Englishman."

 

* * *

 

Newt got a lot of amused looks and compliments for his new jumper, all it did was leave him worried that his face would never return to its normal color. It was a relief when they all settled down to watch _The Muppet Christmas Carol_.

This time, Newt had gone through with it and managed to pull Thomas down onto _his_ lap for once. Thomas had seemed bewildered at first before settling on a wide smile. It had taken all of five seconds before Thomas was curled up on Newt's lap with his face buried in Newt's neck.

"I love that jumper, it's so soft", Thomas mumbled, playing with the scarf of the snowman.

"I'd have preferred the dark blue one your mom was talking about."

"Nah, that one was boring. This one's perfect because it's so unlike you. But to he honest, I really just wanted to see your face when I forced you to wear it."

"And? Did my face meet your expectations?"

"It was even better." Newt could hear the smirk in Thomas's voice even though he couldn't see it. Looking down, he could only see messy dark curls.

"I don't know why I put up with you."

"You'd miss me quicker than you'd think."

Newt thought about it for a while. "Yeah ... I think I would."

Thomas 'aww'ed in his ear and wrapped an arm around Newt's waist, squeezing tightly. "It's a Christmas miracle", he whispered.

It made Newt smile so he took a second to rest his head atop Thomas's, taking delight in the happy hum it pulled from Thomas. 

They were quiet after that, except for Thomas's occasional low singing. Newt complained at first, jostling his shoulder to throw Thomas off or wiggle his legs to annoy Thomas but it was never a permanent solution so he just gave up. Suffering in silence, he even let Thomas sway them along with the music from time to time.

After the movie followed two more before the first people started to excuse themselves to go to bed.

They got up about ten minutes after the first person left.

"Mistletoe!" somebody called out.

The men looked up in shock.

"Not _again_! Come on, guys!" Thomas complained, exasperated.

"It's tradition!" Jody sing-songed with a smug smile.

" _Moooom,_  you're supposed to be on my side!"

She just shrugged.

Thomas 'pff'ed and turned around to Newt who felt a sense of déjà-vu at their position.

"I'm _so_ sorry", Thomas said earnestly and quiet enough that only Newt would hear.

"Not your fault. We should've been more careful", Newt whispered back.

Thomas nodded slightly before putting his hands lightly on either side of Newt's neck and pulling him into a short but soft kiss. Newt closed his eyes at the sensation, lightly moving his lips for just a second. After they'd pulled apart, he let his hands linger on Thomas's waist until the outsider's voice startled him.

"There you go, boys, now you can go to bed."

Thomas's eyes flickered between Newt's for just a moment before he cleared his throat and turned to face the room at large. "You _do_ know that you're creepy for asking us to do this, right?"

When no one answered, he rolled his eyes and grabbed Newt's hand, gently pulling him out of the room and up the stairs.

He firmly closed the door to their room as soon as they were inside.

"I'm really sorry. For all of this! Now I stole your second kiss, too! I'm a terrible person!" 

Newt was about to interrupt when Thomas started pacing the length of the room. 

"I should've never brought you here, I shouldn't have forced you to this. I totally ruined your holidays, didn't I? I'm so sorry!" He put his hands on Newt's shoulders, his eyes big and earnest. "Can you forgive me?" 

Newt ignored Thomas's hands for now and gave him a soft smile. "Calm down, Tommy. You're making a big deal out of nothing. There's nothing to forgive because you did nothing wrong. It's not your bloody fault that they're so weirdly eager for our smooching."

Thomas cocked his head. "Smooching? I always thought it was called snogging in Britain."

Newt gave him a pointed look. "Priorities, Tommy."

"Right. So you're not mad?"

"No", Newt reaffirmed. He patted one of Thomas's hands before pulling it off his shoulder and shaking the other one off. "Now stop giving me that face, you're making me feel all weird. Like I killed your dog or something." He brushed past his friend and grabbed his pajamas before walking into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"You're the best, Newt!" Thomas called after him. "And by the way, I've always been more of a cat person myself!"

"I know!" Newt replied with a chuckle.

 

* * *

 

They were lying in bed with the covers pulled over them. The TV was on like usual, and Thomas had been quiet since he'd reemerged from his shower. It was starting to freak Newt out a little.

"Okay, I give in. What is it, Tommy?"

"Hm?" Thomas turned his head to look at Newt.

"You're being all quiet and brooding and it's bloody weird. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"Just thinking."

" _No way!_  Holy shit, I was not expecting that!"

Thomas shoved him with a chuckle. "Shut up. I was just thinking about how well you fit in with us."

Newt frowned. "And that had you thinking for so long? You're slower than I thought."

Thomas snorted. "You're always so mean to me! And here I was thinking about how nice it is to have you here instead of being alone with Chuck."

"Aw ... Tommy, don't be hurt, I was just stating facts."

Thomas gave him a wounded look. "That hurts, Newt."

"Your ego will survive it, I'm sure."

Thomas rolled his eyes - which was new - before looking back at the TV. They watched for about an hour before he brought up the daily conversation.

"About our sleeping arrangement."

"You're sleeping on the floor", Newt said immediately.

Thomas sat up straighter. "You can't make me, Newt! This is my family, our holiday home and I _need_ to sleep. You _know_ how dysfunctional my brain gets when I don't get enough sleep!"

Newt glared at him. "We're not discussing this. I'm not letting you keep me from my sleep another night."

Thomas slid closer until his knees were brushing against Newt's thigh. "But what if I spill our secret because I'm so sleep deprived?"

"Than you're the one who'll have to deal with it."

"But we're in this together!" He was quiet before a grin tugged at his lips.

"You're thinking about _High School Musical_ , aren't you?"

"I'm sorry."

"Bloody idiot."

"Seriously, though, I physically cannot sleep on the floor", Thomas insisted.

"Than what do you suggest? Because I am _not_ going through this another night."

Thomas was quiet for a while. "What if we already cuddled when we're falling asleep?"

Newt raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that exactly what I want to avoid?"

"Yeah, but you can decide _how._  That way you can at least get somewhat comfy."

"But I want to be _entirely_  on my own when I sleep. No breaching of my personal space whatsoever."

"I don't think that's possible."

"Hence why I want you to sleep on the floor", Newt countered.

"But that's not an option."

"Then I'll make it an option."

"Proposal rejected!"

"Objection!"

"Declined."

"Why am I even playing along?" Newt asked, more so himself than anyone else.

Thomas grinned. "I don't know. But I'm so not gonna sleep on the floor."

"And I'm not letting you cuddle me again."

"But you're always asleep in the mornings! I wouldn't sleep at all if I laid on the floor."

Newt groaned in frustration. "I'm so tired of this discussion."

"Me too, let's just sleep then." Thomas turned of the TV and slid under the covers.

"Hey! That's not what I meant!" Newt shook Thomas until he turned around again.

"Then what do you expect us to do?"

Newt raised an eyebrow even though Thomas probably couldn't see it in the dark.

"Right. Floor-sleeping", Thomas muttered after a beat. "Well, Newt, I'm sorry to say this but that is not gonna happen."

"Who says that I care about what you want?"

"You're only _here_ because you care about what I want."

Newt hated that Thomas was right. "Still not letting you get away with this."

"Just try out my idea for tonight and if you hate it that much we'll think of something new tomorrow."

Newt sighed in frustration, groaned in despair, rubbed over his face, squeezed the bridge of his nose and tugged at his own hair before taking a deep breath and sliding under the sheets. "I bloody hate that you always win these fights."

Thomas slid closer before opening his arms in invitation. "Lie down however you want." He didn't celebrate his win or make jokes which Newt was grateful for.

Newt laid down stiffly, his head resting on Thomas's shoulder before awkwardly placing his hand over the Thomas's heart.

"Comfort-scale?"

"Seven point three", Newt replied.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

Thomas hesitated before putting an arm around Newt and pulling him snuggly against his side. "You shouldn't rest your legs on top of each other - it's gonna get really uncomfortable."

Newt slowly slid his foot between both of Thomas's. "Huh. You're right. Feels better."

"I'm a cuddle-expert as you should know."

"Still hate you."

"Didn't expect anything else." Thomas was quiet for a while. "You okay?"

Newt rubbed his cheek a little over Thomas's shoulder before sliding a little closer to rest his head more comfortably. "Yeeeaaah ... no. Feels weird."

"Worse than the other two nights?"

"Nah. Better than that but still uncomfortable."

"You think you can sleep like this 'cause I'm so close to falling asleep that I can't even keep my eyes open."

"I think I'll be okay."

"Good."

They were quiet until Newt could feel Thomas relax completely. He was out cold. Newt took a deep breath and tried to imagine Thomas as a big, less comfortable pillow. It took about fifteen minutes until he was asleep as well.


	4. Day 4

**Day 4**

Newt woke up with a weight on his chest and all along his right side. It was unfamiliar and way too hot to for comfort but still, he didn't immediately push it away. For a few moments, he just allowed his mind to wander again, reminiscing in the weirdness of his last dream and enjoy the softness of the pillow and perfect firmness of the mattress. Though eventually, the numbness in his right arm became too much to handle so he wiggled it free and dropped it around the person laying on him, his fingers finding soft hair.

Squinting his eyes, he found Thomas sprawled across his chest, the sight relaxing him. Sleep was still pulling at his mind, trying to drag him back under. The thought was comforting. A few more minutes passed and his fingers kept playing with Thomas's dark curls, a subconscious action that kept him awake enough to not start falling fully asleep again but also wasn't distracting enough to pull him into wakefulness. 

"You awake, Newt?" Thomas whispered.

"No", Newt mumbled.

The low chuckle vibrated against his ribs. He lightly tugged at a strand of hair to show his disapproval. 

"What time is it?"

"Uh, around ten, I think", Thomas answered.

Newt furrowed his brow. "I really slept that long?"

"Yup, surprises me just as much as you. Who'd have thought that I'd make you a cuddler this quickly?"

Newt slapped somewhere in the general direction of Thomas's face, feeling satisfied when he actually managed to hit his target's cheek.

"Hey! I didn't deserve that!"

Newt tugged at another strand of hair. " _Yes_ , you did."

"You trying to tell me that you didn't sleep well?" Thomas inquired.

Newt pushed Thomas off, successfully untangling their legs in the process. "I'd have slept _even better_ if I'd had the bloody bed to myself." He looked at Thomas's face, noting the mix of emotions on it. He sighed. "But I'm not gonna lie, it _was_ better than the previous nights."

Thomas's smile was blinding. "Yeah?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "Don't let it get to your head. I still prefer my personal space."

"But it's a start", Thomas pointed out.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll get dressed now."

 

* * *

 

 

Once Newt emerged from the bathroom, he found himself alone in the room. Thomas must have sauntered downstairs again in his pajamas.

The repeat of the prior day reminded him of Jody's words. How they weren't acting convincing enough. It irked him. He had a competitive streak a mile wide. It was what had gotten him into _The Glade_ and pushed him during his physical therapy. And he'd be damned if he'd allow these people to judge his nonexistent relationship with his best friend.  _I can act_. _I could_ _make us look like the most disgustingly adorable couple if I wanted to._

He zipped up his hoodie with a little too much force, almost hitting himself in the face in the process. But that didn't smother his determination.

Downstairs, he found Thomas sitting at the kitchen counter again, chatting with his mother over cups of hot chocolate.

"Morning", Newt greeted, ruffling Thomas's hair in passing before his own cup.

"I was just talking with Tom about how we should leave the house today. We've been cooped up in here since we went hiking", Jody told him.

Newt stirred his drink as he turned around, leaning back against the counter. "Yeah, sounds nice. Any specific plans yet?"

"We were thinking of ice skating", Thomas said.

Newt raised his eyebrows as he took a sip, nearly burning his tongue. "Wouldn't they all be closed today?"

"There's a frozen lake only about a mile from here. We've been skating on it every year."

"I didn't bring any skates, though."

"I'm sure we can arrange something, don't worry", Jody assured him before getting up to put her empty cup in the sink. "Why don't you two join the others while I start lunch?"

"You sure you don't want our help?" Newt asked.

Jody shook her head. "You've been helping the last couple of days already." She lightly pushed at Newt's shoulder. "Now go be teenagers and let mom make the food."

Newt chuckled as he left the room, Thomas at his heels. 

"She does know we're not teenagers anymore, right?" Newt muttered.

"Yeah, don't tell her that or she'll stop doing my laundry when I visit."

"You lazy little fucker."

Thomas gasped. "How _dare_ you?"

 

* * *

 

After lunch, Jody invited Newt to try on several pairs of skates. They easily settled on Thomas's spare pair since they were pretty much the same size.

Back upstairs, Newt and Thomas bundled up in even more layers than they did a few days ago, hoping to fend off the cold better this time around.

"You seem more affectionate than usual", Thomas said as he dumped all of his coats and hoodies on the bed.

Newt shrugged. "I noticed that your mom seems suspicious. I just wanna reassure her that I'm actually in love with you." Newt paused, frowning. "You know what I mean."

Thomas chuckled. "Yeah, I get it. You think she knows?"

"I think she suspects something but she's not a hundred percent sure yet." Newt rummaged through his bag in search of a warm hoodie.

"So we need to step our game up a notch", Thomas replied, zipping up his jacket.

"Just to be safe, yeah", Newt agreed, dumping the contents of his duffel onto the floor. "I could've sworn I bloody packed it", he mumbled to himself.

Thomas stepped up behind him. "Whatcha searching for?"

"My hoodie. Ya know, the green one?"

"You mean the one you left on your bed in our dorm room because you wanted to wash it?"

Newt stilled, recalling his packing process for a second and yes, he could see it lying there. On his sheets. A five-hour drive from here. "Fuck."

Thomas chuckled, backing away toward the bed.

A few seconds later, Newt's vision went black as his head was covered by dark fabric. Pulling it off, he recognized the blue-and-black striped hoodie as one of Thomas's. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Put it on", Thomas said, the "obviously" going unsaid but still clear in his tone.

Newt considered turning the offer down but eventually settled for a "Thanks, Tommy."

He zipped it up over his long-sleeved t-shirt before setting out to find his jacket under the mountain of clothes he just made. He knew he'd regret wrinkling it all by stuffing it carelessly back into his duffel but right now he couldn't bring himself to care.

"You look really cute in my clothes", Thomas commented, a smile in his voice. "I'm enjoying this."

"Shut up, you possessive weirdo and help me find my bloody coat!" Newt made sure to keep his tone neutral, even when he was fighting down a blush.  _Why are you like this, Tommy?_

The search proved successful after only two minutes, with Thomas crying out in victory as he threw up the coat. "Nya-ha!" 

Newt stared at him, questioning the life-decisions that had got him here. Still, he got to his feet and finished getting dressed without further comment.

"So ... are you gonna put on your beanie or do we have to fight over it again?" Thomas asked.

"It itches and I hate it", Newt told him.

"But your ears will freeze off!"

Newt shot him an incredulous look.

"What? I'm sure it's happened before!"

Newt didn't budge. "I'm an adult, I make my own decisions."

"Fine. Do you want mine? It doesn't itch, I promise."

"I can't just wear all of your clothes, Tommy."

"What? We wanna step up our couple game, right?"

Thomas didn't even finish speaking before he pulled the dark blue beanie out of his pocket and tugged it onto Newt, leaving Newt to adjust it so his eyes weren't covered.

"There ya go!" Thomas said happily. 

Newt watched as his friend stepped back and started rummaging through his duffel bag, eventually finding what he was looking for. 

The rainbow colored beanie was definitely striking and easy to spot in a crowd. Newt smiled widely at the sight. "You should wear that to PRIDE some time."

"If they held it in winter, maybe", Thomas replied. "I should get you a matching one!"

Newt lightly shook his head, still grinning. "I prefer subtlety."

Thomas smirked. "Then you picked the wrong boyfriend, my dear." With that he stormed out of the room, shouting "GAY PRIIIIDE!" followed by a few whoops that was met with a few cheers and cat calls from downstairs. 

Newt followed his epic dork of a friend with a goofy grin and a small head shake.

When he got to the front door, the majority of people had already started to file outside with Jody as the tail-light, holding three pairs of skates. She grinned as she handed theirs over before ushering them out the door.

"Nice hat, Tom", she teased.

"Newt was complaining about his itchy beanie so I gave him mine. I think Teresa gave it to me as a joke when I came out to her."

Jody smiled. "How is the daughter that I never had? I haven't seen her since her birthday."

Thomas shrugged. "Last time I saw her she was picked up by her dad to spend the holidays with him."

"I've always liked that girl." Jody paused, cocking her head. "Though I have to admit I was very confused when you started dating her for ... how long did it last? A week? Two?"

Newt felt his eyes widen. "You dated _Teresa_? You never told me that!"

Thomas shrugged. "It was a weird time in my life and she'd always been there for me so ... y'know, why not try out this dating thing with her? If it makes you feel any better, I also dated Minho for a few weeks."

"I'm never gonna think of all of you the same way", Newt said, trying to keep the images in his brain from fully forming. He knew he'd be lying awake tonight, picturing his friends in very compromising positions. "You guys were like those friend-groups in sitcom. Everyone's dated everyone, just without the heteronormativity."

"Well, I'm with you now, right babe?" Thomas smiled sunnily.

Newt narrowed his eyes at him which only earned him an arm wrapped around his waist that pulled him into Thomas's side. He didn't even try to pull away this time.

 

* * *

 

 

After a not too unbearably long walk through the high snow, they reached the lake where two other couples where already skating.

The bottom of Newt's pants was already soaked and the snow had somehow found a way into his boots where it was slowly melting, successfully drenching his socks. Still, it wasn't nearly as bad as their hiking trip.

Thomas and Newt split from the group as they spotted and empty bench by the lake that was free of snow. Sitting down, they began the process of strapping into their skates.

"Do you even know how to do this?" Thomas asked. "Or will I get the pleasure of seeing you fall on your butt every five seconds?"

"Firstly: fuck you", Newt said calmly. "And secondly: it's been a few years but I think I remember the basics. I'm more worried about you, to be honest. You're so bloody clumsy, I don't even know how you survived this long."

Thomas huffed a laugh and watched as Newt finished tightening the laces and securing the straps.

As soon as Newt set down his feet, Thomas stood up, reaching out to pull Newt up with him. Except Thomas didn't let go after that. 

Newt looked down at their bare hands. He could feel the warmth slowly building up between them despite the freezing air. "What are you doing?" 

"Holding your hand", Thomas replied, the 'duh' clear in his voice.

"I've noticed."

"Then why are you asking?" Thomas asked easily, stepping backwards onto the ice. He took a second to steady himself before tugging Newt along.

"Okay, it's been a while", Newt admitted as his free hand clamped down on Thomas's forearm. 

"And suddenly you're the one seeking contact", Thomas teased, smug smile in place as he reached to take the hand from his arm and keep it firmly held in his own.

Newt could feel his knees wobble as he tried to keep steady and find his balance. "You know, it's been a while since I told you this but ... I still hate you. Just so you know." 

"While these words lose some of their meaning with how intensely you're holding my hands right now ... I know. You hate me. So much." Thomas's voice lowered at the end as he slowly skated backwards, just a little, but enough to force Newt to move. 

"You're evil", Newt informed him, feeling the urge to just sit down on his butt and wait until they could leave again.

"Nope, this is me teaching you." Thomas shuffled back a few more inches, stretching his arms so he could put more distance between them. Eventually, he loosened his hold, attempting to let go but Newt wouldn't have it, he simply held on harder, squeezing Thomas's palms.

"What are you doing?" Newt asked, knowing that his panic was showing.

Thomas gave him a soft smile. "Calm down, I'm just moving back a little. Try to reach me on your own."

"Oh, _heeell_ no! You're not leaving me on my bloody own! This is not the way I wanted to die, Tommy! This is _undignified_! Just imagine what a pathetic end of my life this would be! Imagine how _guilty_ you'd feel, how it would eat at you every. Single Day. Do you _really_ wanna be the one to break the news to my family that you let me die like this? _Do you?_ "

"Oh my god, Newt, chill out!" Thomas said, laughter clear in his voice. "I'll catch you if you fall, I promise!"

"I don't like this plan. In fact, I _despise_ it." Still, Newt relaxed his hold, just a little.

"You can trust me, you know that." Thomas squeezed his hands before dropping his hold and skating back a few feet.

Newt watched him go, feeling uneasy as he tried his best to keep his balance. If looks could kill, Thomas would have dropped in seconds.

"Now move your feet one after the other", Thomas instructed. " And try to keep them diagonally." 

Newt took a deep breath. "I really, really hate you for this", he reminded Thomas.

He was slow. Really slow. Each shuffle of his feet made him feel just that little bit more ridiculous and incompetent but he never stopped, his eyes firmly focused on his own feet and the ice in front of him. He was glad that this wasn't happening on a public rink since his mortification would have probably made him die of embarrassment.

"See? You did it!" Thomas gave him a proud smile.

Newt reached out to hold onto Thomas's forearm, steadying himself again. "You're enjoying my near-death experiences too much."

"Don't be so grumpy", Thomas said, pressing a small kiss to Newt's jaw. "Ice-skating is supposed to be fun!"

Newt didn't comment on the display of affection, his attention more focused on the middle of the lake where Thomas's relatives were skating and laughing as they tried to perform small skips and pirouettes. He smiled at the picture and felt his mood lift a little. "Alright then." He grabbed hold of Thomas's hand. "Show me your ways! Let's try to make a whole lap without me landing on my butt."

Thomas smiled, his eyes shining with happy surprise. "Okey dokey, Newtie!"

"Please, never say that again."

 

* * *

 

 

They didn't really get the speed-thing down, their pace sticking to a steady crawl, and Thomas had to grab onto Newt's arm five times to keep him from falling, but they _did_ manage an entire lap without any real incidents.

They followed it up with three more, each one of them faster than the one before. Somewhere along the way, Newt could actually feel himself starting to have fun, and once he realized he was starting to figure out how to shift his weight, he could have even let go of Thomas's hand. Except he didn't. If he weren't in such a good mood, he probably would have questioned why but as it was, he just deposed the thought at the back of his mind.

"Think you can try skating backwards now?" Thomas asked.

"I'd rather not", Newt replied. The mental image of his head colliding with the ice wasn't all that appealing. He'd prefer not ending the day with a puddle of bloody slowly forming around his head.

"Come on! I'll skate right behind you and catch you if you fall! You're on a roll here, Newt, you can't stop now!" 

"You know, if you wanted me dead so badly, you could've just smothered me in my sleep", Newt pointed out. "Oh wait ... you already tried that."

Thomas cocked his head. "You're really fatalistic today, you know that?"

"And whose fault is that?"

Thomas drew his eyebrows together. "I only want you to have a good time, Newt. Why do you gotta make it about death?"

Newt sighed in defeat. He studied Thomas's earnest face for a few seconds, finding himself lost in the deep brown eyes until he shook himself out of it. "Alright. I'll do it. But if I die, it's your fault!"

Thomas smiled brightly in victory. Skating around Newt, he positioned himself behind him, his hands resting on Newt's shoulders. "Alrighty! So, what you're gonna is the diagonal-thing from earlier but backwards."

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to do that?" Newt exclaimed, trying to reposition his feet. All it did was make him slip and flail his arms in a way that was usually reserved for Thomas. The only reason he didn't land on his butt was Thomas who'd grabbed hold of Newt's waist to steady him.

"You shouldn't already trip before you've even moved!" Thomas's laughter was close to Newt's ear as he made sure to linger until Newt stopped swaying on the spot. "Now try again", he instructed as he let go. 

Newt could still feel his presence nearby, a reassuring thought that helped him focus on his goal. "I really don't think ankles are supposed to be twisted like this." 

When he started to waver again, Thomas was on him in a second, grabbing hold of Newt's upper arms. "You're doing great", he assured, before letting go again. "Now try to move towards me."

Newt took a steadying breath. "I feel like bloody Bambi", he muttered to himself.

The first two steps went fine. So did the third. But just when he could already feel Thomas behind him, he overbalanced, sending his arms flying to find something to hold on to. He could feel his hand smack against Thomas's forehead before he fell into him, sending them both sprawling onto the ice.

"Well, it was a start", Thomas said, groaning in pain.

"Are you okay!" somebody shouted.

"We're fine!" Thomas called back as Newt sat up, rubbing his elbow. His funny bone was sending zaps of pain and tingles up to his shoulder. The ice really wasn't his friend.

Behind him, Thomas was pushing back onto his skates, while Newt remained on the ground, slowly shuffling onto his knees so he could at least attempt to get back up on his own.

"This was a bloody stupid idea. Who needs to skate backwards anyway?" Newt questioned. "I mean do we as a society ever end up in situations where walking distances backwards is required? No! So why would we need to do it on the fucking ice?"

"You never know what weird situations you might find yourself in", Thomas told him, reaching to help Newt back up. "Now try again."

Newt glared, even as his knees buckled in an attempt to find a steady balance.

It took several more minutes of convincing on Thomas's part and even more attempts on Newt's until he managed to get into at least somewhat of a rhythm. But even if Newt didn't count the outcome as a success, Thomas seemed happy with it and hadn't that really been Newt's goal to begin with?

Near the end of their excursion, Chuck came skating up to them. He made a few jokes on Newt's expense and told them a bit about the embarrassing stuff his relatives had been up to before challenging Thomas to a race. Newt watched on from the sidelines, making sure to stay out of everyone's why as he waited for either Thomas to come back to him or someone to announce that they'd be leaving.

Eventually, he decided to do his own thing and settle down on their bench to get warmed up with some lukewarm tea. By the time Thomas joined him, he was munching on a cold sandwich.

"Did you see how that little shit beat me?" Thomas shook his head in disbelief. "How is he so damn fast?"

"Just admit your defeat, Tommy."

 

* * *

 

It was 5pm by the time they decided to leave.

Thomas and Newt spent the walk holding hands without second thought, chatting about this and that as Thomas rubbed circles into Newt's skin with his thumb.

"So that wasn't so bad, now, was it?" Thomas asked, unzipping his coat up in their room.

"It was fun, actually", Newt admitted, trying not to cringe at the feeling of his cold drenched socks being pulled off his feet.

"Yeah?"

Newt looked up at his friend's beaming face, a fond smile tugging at his own lips. "Yeah, Tommy. Thanks for not letting me fall, or at least going down with me."

"I told you, you can trust me!"

"I know."

They changed into their sweatpants but kept on their hoodies before heading back downstairs.

When they got to the living room, they found half the couches still empty, most likely because the rest was still getting warmed up and changed.

Despite the open seating choices, Newt still aimed for the armchair, dropping down and sinking into the cushions while Thomas got them a blanket. Newt took the opportunity to stretch his limbs and take note of the dull ache in his bad leg. Part of him was worried that he'd been overdoing it with first the hiking and now this. He should lay low for the rest of the week. He could only hope that nobody else would come up with a bright idea for a "fun" outing.

His thoughts were interrupted by Thomas curling up on his lap, his legs pulled up onto the chair, buried between the armrest and Newt's leg as he tucked the blanket around them. The sudden heat source made Newt shiver.

"I hate this bloody pins and needles thing bodies pull off every time", he said grumpily.

"It's definitely one of winter's downsides", Thomas agreed, tugging his cold face into Newt's neck.

Newt squirmed at the sensation but eventually settled down when he'd found a way to comfortably adjust Thomas's weight on top of him.

People started to file into the room, filling the couches up as they handed out blankets until everyone was covered. Cookies and warm drinks were passed around and the small talk faded down into a murmur once the TV was switched on. Whoever was in charge of the remote this time around kept switching channels until they settled on an animated movie that was just starting.

" _Rise of the Guardians_?" Newt whispered.

"Don't hate on one of my favorite movies", Thomas said immediately, his voice serious.

"I wasn't. I actually like it, too. Santa's really cool."

"And Jack's kinda attractive", Thomas added.

"He's animated", Newt reminded him.

"Still attractive."

"More than me?" Newt teased.

"Never." Thomas winked at him before pressing a kiss against his jaw.

Newt chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Thomas's back, sinking further into the cushions as Thomas settled against him.

 

* * *

 

After the movie, someone had the brilliant idea to play another game. Newt didn't have to know which one to feel a sense of dread.

"What should we play?" 

"Blind Man's Buff!"

"Any other ideas? No. Alright then! But we'll have to move the furniture a little."

"What's blind man's buff?" Newt asked, keeping his voice low as Thomas climbed off his lap.

"Somebody gets blindfolded while the others walk around the room and try not to get caught by them. When the blindfolded one touches you, you're out", Thomas explained.

Newt's eyes widened. "I'm really not in the mood to get accidentally groped by your relatives, Tommy!" he whispered firmly.

"Yeeeah ... this probably really sucks for you", Thomas admitted. "Even I'd hate playing that with strangers."

"I'm not ready for this awkwardness. What if Ingeborg accidentally puts her finger up my nose or something?" Despite his words, Newt helped him push the armchair up against the wall. 

Thomas pulled a disgusted face. "Yikes! You're brain's really heading some weird places." He paused, cocking his head. "But ... I can be 'it' if it makes you feel better."

"Yeah?"

"Sure. I don't mind. It's fun!"

Newt let out a relieved breath, nodding.

They helped the others move aside everything fragile or otherwise dangerous before Thomas loudly announced that he wanted to be the one to get blindfolded.

Nobody complained so Ingeborg pulled out a black scarf which she handed over to Newt who helped Thomas tie the knot. As soon as he stepped back, Thomas's grandmother walked up to lead her grandson into the middle of the room where she turned him around his own axis until he got dizzy and disoriented. She left him swaying as she declared it was time for her nap.

She wasn't even out the door when people around them started shuffling around and hiding. Newt took it as a sign and climbed onto the backrest of the couch near the Christmas tree, his eyes firmly locked on Thomas.

Less than ten seconds passed before Thomas managed to collide with a pillar. The string of curses that followed had Newt bite down on his lower lip to keep from laughing.

Thomas eventually moved on by tripping over the carpet, hitting his toe on another pillar which had him hissing in pain and eventually face-planting because he tripped over his too-long sweatpants.

Newt had to pull the weirdest faces to keep himself from making a noise but others were less successful, leading to Thomas actually capturing three people.

Ove the next few minutes, Newt switched his place twice - once behind the Christmas tree and again when he climbed onto the backrest of the second armchair.

It came down to him and Chuck.

Newt was still in his spot on the armchair when Chuck gave him a thumbs up from across the room. He was standing beside beside the TV while Thomas was feeling his way around the are by the coffee table near Newt, which he'd managed to bump his shin into already. Twice.

Seeing Thomas that close to him, Newt contemplated whether he should move again or not. Eyeing the nearby couch, he decided to go for it. Pushing into a crouch, he made a big step onto the armrest closest to him before climbing up onto the backrest. Thomas remained oblivious.

Another minute passed, and Thomas was now heading in the direction of Chuck. Newt was now on the third couch closest to the dining room and could feel victory approaching. He practically had this win in the bag.

And then he sneezed. _Fuck._

"Oh, Newt, honey. I'd recognize that sound anywhere!"

Newt grit his teeth. _Oh come on!_

Inspecting his surroundings, Newt decided it was safest to return to the armchair since it was furthest away and could be accessed without the threat of creaky floorboards. The problem was that Thomas was already at the couch he'd have to climb onto next and getting past him would be dangerous. His only chance now was to squeeze passed him and gun it.

Newt quietly inhaled through his mouth and held his breath as he touched his toes to the carpet. Thomas was only a few inches away as Newt slid around him. Right when he'd thought he'd made it, he felt an arm wrap around his middle.

Chuck shouted in victory.

Newt groaned in disappointment and sunk back into Thomas's chest.

"Well, hello there!" Thomas all but purred.

Newt turned, feeling Thomas's hand slide around him and settle on his lower back. "I was so bloody close! What gave me away?"

 

Thomas pulled up his blindfold, pushing his hair back in a ridiculous fashion. "I had my hands up and the cord of the hoodie brushed it."

Newt narrowed his eyes. "So it was _your_ hoodie that made me lose! Traitor."

The few chuckles that sounded from around them reminded Newt where exactly they were standing. Moving out of Thomas's hold, he pulled the scarf from Thomas's head. It would give him something to busy his hands with.

"So what's next?" Thomas asked.

"Cooking dinner!" someone announced. "Come on, boys, you can help!"

Newt stuck by Thomas's side as they squeezed through the crowd on their way to the kitchen. When they got there, Jody was standing by the door while everybody else bustled around her.

"Since I'm free of kitchen duty for the next few days, you'll be in charge of the salads for now", Jody told them.

"Alright", Thomas said. "What are the specifics of this rank? Do I get to boss people around?"

Jody lifted an eyebrow. "No. But you can try to cut the carrots instead of your fingers today!"

Thomas huffed a breath. "Rude."

Jody smirked as she took a seat at the counter, watching Newt and her son navigate around each other.

"So I saw that you had a lot of fun today", she said offhandedly. "I watched you ice-skating and let me tell you, I wish I'd had a camera for your future wedding video."

Newt felt his face heat up.

"Mom!"

Jody waved their protests aside, her face lit up with a smile. "Oh come on, boys, don't be embarrassed. I know you're both young and marriage seems like an old-people thing but I want you to know that I support you."

 

"Mom, please!"

"Alright, alright. I'll leave you to it!"

 

* * *

 

After dinner, they all gathered back in the living room as had become the norm.

Instead of paying attention to the movies on screen, most people were chatting and reminiscing in the past until it was time for bed. 

"Dibs on the shower!" Thomas called, sprinting past Newt and into the bathroom.

"You forgot your pajamas!" Newt replied as he flopped onto the bed.

"Dammit!"

Thomas reemerged, lunged onto the bed to dig out his clothes from between the sheets and disappeared back into the bathroom before Newt could do as much as laugh at him.

While the shower was running, Newt took his time in scrolling through his phone and writing out a text for his mother. He exchanged a few messages with his sister, teasing her about her crush on her friend Harriet and endured the comments she made about his own supposed crush on Thomas. He just rolled his eyes, denied everything and put his cellphone back before Thomas had the chance to catch him.

After his own shower, he and Thomas settled down on the bed, both sticking to their respective sides.

"I've never watched this much bloody TV before", Newt said as Thomas clicked through the channels.

"It's like this every year." Thomas paused. "I miss my computer."

"Me too. It must feel so lonely", Newt replied. He wasn't gonna lie, he feared he might actually be showing withdrawal symptoms.

"My subscription box on YouTube must be so full ..."

"I'm gonna be so out of the loop with the stupid memes."

"The _Doctor Who_ Christmas Special", Thomas whispered.

"Don't remind me. My British ancestry is besmeared", Newt groaned, sinking into his pillows.

Thomas turned off the TV, sliding down so that he was lying on Newt's eye level. He seemed to curl into himself as he got comfortable.

"So, how was today for you?" Thomas asked.

"What do you mean?" 

"Affection-wise."

"Oh. Uh ... it was alright, I guess. I mean, I could have done without the crashing onto the ice with you but other than that? Not so bad."

"Comfort-scale?"

Newt thought about it for a second. "Around two point four."

Thomas quirked a smile. "That's great! See? I'm getting you there!"

Newt just shook his head in amusement. "I can't believe that you've actually made it your bloody mission to get me on your level of touchy-feelieness."

"Hey! It's an honorable mission which I will succeed in with flying colors."

"The weird thing is that I'm starting to believe you."

"Yeah?" Thomas asked with a grin. "Now that's something I like to hear."

"I don't know how you did it but I'm actually getting used to all of this", Newt said.

"It's perseverance."

"Well, I'm still uncomfortable around everybody else so you have a long, long way to go."

Thomas waved the argument aside. "Pff, who cares about _them_? I'm focusing on myself for now."

"You know that's it's kinda creepy how eager you are to get me to cuddle with you, right?"

"Don't judge me. You're my best friend and for a very large portion of the year you're all that I have and I have _needs_."

"That sounds very sexual."

"I'm talking about avoiding touch-starvation."

"Less creepy", Newt admitted. "But creepy nonetheless." 

"Not everyone can be as independent and self-sustaining as you are."

Newt chuckled. "You're such a weirdo."

"So I've been told."

"But I don't mind. I think I wouldn't like you anymore if you weren't."

Thomas frowned. "That was too confuddling for me with all the negatives. But I think it was a compliment so _thank you_. I love you too."

"Yeah? That's nice."

"Even though you're kind of an asshole most of the time."

"Am I now?"

"Yup. But you're _my_ asshole."

"And I have no say in that matter?"

"Nope."

"Okay ... I think I can live with that. You're my bloody idiot, right?"

"Hell yeah", Thomas agreed.

"Then we're even." Newt's eyes started to droop and he let you a yawn. "'m tired. Ice-skating is bloody mental and people should overthink a sport that consists of walking around on ice with literal blades strapped to your feet."

Thomas snorted a laugh. "If you put it like that it _does_ sound kinda crazy."

They were quiet for a while. Newt drifted off, his mind far off in the memories of today. He thought about Jody who'd teased them about a future wedding. The thought should sound beyond ridiculous but if Newt was honest, he couldn't imagine a future without Thomas at his side. And while friends could of course stick together for decades as well, the thought of being literally tied under the eyes of the government and everyone they knew didn't sound all that unappealing. Not at all.

"Don' fall asleep jus' yet. Need to cuddle firs'."

Newt barely registered the voice in his ear. His hand just reached over and pulled at Thomas's arm until he rested on Newt's shoulder. Thomas continued to wiggle closer for a bit, his arm wrapping around Newt's middle and his head pushing closer until he was nuzzling into Newt's chest.

"Your feet're cold", Thomas mumbled as he tugged his leg between Newt's.

"'n' yours are warm."

Thomas didn't reply. 

They fell asleep with Newt's breath lightly ruffling Thomas's hair on every exhale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments! They're really appreciated and I wouldn't keep on writing if it weren't for you guys!  
> I'll try to update daily but I doubt it'll be possible once school starts again, though I promise to do my best!


	5. Day 5

**Day 5**

Newt woke up with an ache in his leg; he should have seen it coming, really. He'd been dealing with for years after all.

At the moment, it was just a dull ache, nothing major but still annoying. Though not enough to cause him to wake up. No, the reason for that was Thomas who was lightly drumming his fingers on Newt's back. Apparently they'd rolled around and changed position again some time during the night.

"Stahp", Newt mumbled, lightly jerking his shoulders in hopes of shrugging the hand off. "Wanna sleep."

"But I really need to pee", Thomas replied.

Newt rolled off him. "Then go."

"Be right back." He felt Thomas scramble off the bed, get tangled in the sheets and face plant onto the floor. A colorful string of curses followed before he got back on his feet and disappeared into the bathroom.

Newt didn't even attempt to hide his gleeful laughter.

With Thomas being gone, Newt took the opportunity to stretch out his limbs and back. Through the windows he could see the sun rising, tainting the sky in oranges and pinks. It would have been quite beautiful if not for the fact that this meant he'd have trouble falling asleep again. But he'd be damned if he didn't at least try. 

Turning his back on the window, he rolled into the warm spot Thomas had left behind and curled into himself, his eyes squeezed shut in protest.

He'd just started to drift off when Thomas came back.

"You're lying in my spot", he remarked.

Newt didn't answer.

Thomas sighed and walked around the bed, getting in on the other side and pulling the covers over himself. "This side is cold", he complained.

"That's why I'm lying over here", Newt mumbled.

"I thought you hate body heat."

"I hate the cold more."

Newt could feel the mattress dip as Thomas shuffled closer until he could wrap an arm around Newt's waist and pull him in. "Ah, better."

Newt shivered, pulling his shoulders up. "I can feel your breath on my neck."

"It happens."

"Well, I can't sleep like this. It's disgusting." Newt pulled out of the hold and rolled over to face his friend. "Turn around", he ordered.

Thomas raised his eyebrows but complied. As soon as he'd adjusted his pillow, Newt shuffled closer and mirrored their early position. His arm wrapped around Thomas's waist, he nudged Thomas's heel with his toes until he could slip his own foot between Thomas's. After a few more minor adjustments, he was satisfied. 

"This is better", Newt muttered.

Thomas only hummed lowly in reply.

 

* * *

 

They woke up again a few hours later, Newt with his leg aching even more. Still, it was bearable so he'd do his best to ignore it. 

Looking down at Thomas, he slowly started pushing him back onto the mattress to free himself of the weight, but of course Thomas wouldn't have it and started to stir as soon as Newt started wiggling his arm out from underneath him.

"Mornin'." The deep, sleep-hoarse voice was accompanied by Thomas lightly rubbing his cheek against Newt's shoulder.

"Morning. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"'s okay. Payback for earlier, huh?"

Newt quirked a small smile and lightly rubbed once up and down Thomas's spine before rolling him off. Thomas let himself be moved with only a small sound of protest. On his way to the bathroom, Newt looked back to see Thomas lie on his stomach with his face buried in Newt's pillow.

When Newt came back, Thomas had propped himself up against the pillow, his eyes narrowed.

"You're limping", he stated. 

Newt shrugged. "Aftermath of the ice-skating." He walked over to his duffel bag to search for some clothes for today.

"You should've told me that it was hurting! We could've come back earlier!"

"It didn't hurt while we were skating. It's like with working out - your muscles don't ache until the next morning." Newt dug out some black jeans and a t-shirt. "And it's not that bad, I'll just have to limp for today and it'll be almost gone by tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, now stop worrying and go make me breakfast."

"Nope. I'm not letting you walk down the stairs without supervision."

Newt gave him an incredulous look. "Are you serious? You'll be a bloody mother-hen about this, won't you?"

Thomas grinned at him. "Oh yes, Newtie. And you're gonna put up with me because you're my gorgeous boyfriend and you _loooove_ me."

"You've never been more wrong", Newt muttered before disappearing back into the bathroom to get dressed.

When he got back, Thomas was sitting on the edge of the bed, still in his sleepwear. "You ready to go?"

Newt chugged his pajamas at Thomas's head. He didn't seem fazed.

"I'll take that as a yes." Thomas got up and turned his back to Newt. "Hop on!"

"What the _hell_ are you doing, you bloody idiot?"

"I'm taking you piggyback."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." Thomas leaned forward a little. "Now come on. You can fight me on this but you'll lose anyway so why bother?"

"Nope, not happening." Newt headed for the door.

Thomas quickly moved back in front of him. "Come on, Newt! Let me do this for you!"

"Let you do what? Kill us both when you trip and fall down the stairs?"

"I wouldn't fall."

"You couldn't even get out of bed this morning without almost breaking your neck!"

Thomas cocked his head. "I can see your reasoning", he admitted.

Newt rolled his eyes. "Let's just go."

 

* * *

 

 

Turned out that stairs really were Newt's enemy that day. Bending his bad leg at the knee wasn't really an option so he was forced to take the steps like a fucking toddler while Thomas stayed behind him, watching him carefully and consistently offering to carry him.

"You don't want my arms wrapped around your neck, Tommy, trust me. I'd use the opportunity to choke you, hard.  _To death_."

"No, you wouldn't", Thomas replied. "Because you'd be the first suspect on the list and I know you value your privacy so prison isn't exactly a place you wanna be at."

Newt rolled his eyes but didn't make any further comments.

They eventually reached the kitchen where Thomas ushered him toward the bar stool while he got started on making them breakfast.

 

"I noticed you limping", Jody said as she joined them, coffee cup in hand. "Is everything alright?"

"His leg aches and he shouldn't put strain on it", Thomas said, throwing Newt a pointed look.

Newt rolled his eyes again. "It's nothing", he reassured, looking at the concern on Jody's face. "He's just overreacting."

"I'm not _overreacting_ ", Thomas denied. "I'm just being a good boyfriend."

"You literally wanted to carry me down the stairs."

"Like any good boyfriend would!"

"Sounds dangerous", Jody commented as she leaned against the counter beside the coffee maker, refilling her cup.

Newt nodded. "That's what I said."

"Do really none of you have any faith in me?" Thomas complained.

"I have faith in your clumsiness", Newt teased.

Thomas huffed a breath, grumbling to himself as he forcefully stuffed bread into the toaster.

 

 

"So what happened?" Jody asked, pointing her cup toward Newt. "Did you fall yesterday?"

"It's an old injury from when I was younger. When I overdo it with the exercise, it starts aching again but there's no need to worry. It'll be gone by tomorrow."

Jody nodded, taking a sip.

"Don't listen to him, mom", Thomas warned. "He's always downplaying his pain. Like when he had this large project due and he got a migraine but told me it was just a minor stress headache."

Newt rolled his eyes. "You would've stopped me from getting it done on time if I'd told you the truth."

"No, I would have stopped you from _puking your guts out_!"

"I got an A on that project."

"You would've gotten the A if you'd handed it in a day later, too."

"You can't say that for sure, I was on a creative spur that day."

"Imagine the creativity without skull-shattering pain!"

"That was over a year ago, I'm not fighting about this again", Newt said.

Thomas looked at him with narrowed eyes as he set a mug of hot chocolate down on the counter in front of Newt. "I don't wanna fight with you either, Newt." He sighed, propping his elbows up and leaning closer. "I just want you to take better care of yourself. Or at least let _me_  do it for you. I don't like seeing you in pain and I like it even less to see you making it worse because you've always gotta be so fucking stubborn."

Newt's eyes darted back and forth between Thomas's. After a beat, he nodded slowly. "Alright." He exhaled slowly. "If it makes you happy, I guess I can deal with your mother-henning for a day."

A slow smile spread over Thomas's face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now I feel like I'm intruding." 

Jody's voice startled Newt back into reality. He cleared his throat as Thomas slowly pushed off the counter to return to making their toast.

Looking at Jody, Newt saw her gaze wandering back and forth between him and her son. "I'm really happy for you two. It's rare that people find their soulmates that young", she said gently. There was something in the way she was looking at them, something Newt couldn't quite decipher but that made him feel all kinds of things. "But! Now, I've gotta go play Monopoly with Chuck. I promised him yesterday and I'm getting sick of hearing him bugging me about it. You can join us after breakfast if you want. We'll probably still be sorting the money by then ... I think Carl's dog ate some of the bills last year." She frowned a little.

Newt watched her in a mixture of confusion and amusement as she left the room.

Thomas picked up the two plates he'd prepared and set them down on the counter, joining Newt on the other bar stool. "That was strange", he commented. "She rarely switches mood that quickly."

"She knows, Tommy", Newt said. "I'm pretty sure she knows."

"Then why the soulmate comment?"

"Maybe she knows but doesn't want _us_ to know that she knows."

"Maybe. But why not just let us know that she knows? Wouldn't it be easier to just call us out on it?"

Thomas shrugged. "Who knows the inner workings of my mother?"

"I don't know, your dad?"

"Probably. I wonder if she'll tell him when he gets here."

"Do you think he'd tell on us?"

"I doubt it."

Newt nodded, his eyes focused on his plate.

 

 

* * *

 

"You don't build a bloody hotel on boardwalk, Tommy!" Newt exclaimed. He glared over at his friend, narrowing his eyes. "Unless you're Satan."

Thomas squinted his eyes at Newt, holding his eye contact as he blindly picked up the red little plastic building and set it down on the dark blue field.

"You're eeevil." Newt's voice was low.

Thomas smirked.

"You know what?" Newt asked. "I think this relationship is unhealthy and that we should go see other people."

Thomas's lips parted, gaping at him. After a beat, he pursed his lips, cocking his head. "Threats won't get me to take away the hotel, you know?"

Newt placed a hand over his heart in feigned shock. "You'd break up with me to _win a_ _board game_?"

"I'm sorry babe, but I have my priorities. I still love you, but ... I love winning more."

"That is not how I raised you, Tom!" 

Newt glanced at Jody who was watching them in amusement.

"The strive for power has corrupted me, mother!" 

"We've lost him, Jody. He belongs to the dark side of the force now", Newt said, feigning tears.

"Nooooo!" Chuck's dramatic shout was accompanied by him holding up his shaking clenched fists.

Thomas faked an evil laugh, one that was even quite good, Newt had to admit.

 

* * *

 

It was 3pm by now.

Thomas had won, unsurprisingly. Though it had taken him hours during which they'd even had to stop for a lunch break. During their sitting several other people had come by to watch for a bit, occasionally taking a few jabs at Jody and Chuck but always steering clear of doing the same to Newt. It made him feel a bit left out but the merciless teasing they put Thomas through more than made up for it.

"You stayed strong, my fellow players", Thomas declared. "But you were doomed from the start and should have admitted defeat when you were given the chance."

Newt rolled his eyes as he helped put the pieces back into the box.

Once they'd packed up, they joined the others in the living room. Some of them were sitting around and playing board games themselves while another group had set up a makeshift poker table on a stack of board games boxes. 

On his way to the armchair, Newt's leg buckled causing his ankle to twist. Before he could fall, he grabbed onto Thomas's shoulder to hold himself up.

Thomas jumped a little, looking at him in worry. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine", Newt muttered, refusing to slow his step or take a break even if his leg was screaming for it.

Thomas's brow remained furrowed but he didn't say anything. When they got to the sitting down part though, he made sure to drop down first and gently pull Newt onto him. Sideways, so Newt could prop his leg onto the armrest.

"Is there some exercises or massaging techniques that could help?" Thomas asked, lightly tracing his fingers from Newt's knee down to his mid-shin.

"There's some stretching I could do but from past experience I can tell you that it doesn't really do much." Newt slowly flexed his foot, tipping it forwards and backwards. He could feel the ache in his leg shift with each movement. "I prefer just waiting it out and giving it some rest."

"If you say so..." Thomas kept up his gentle motions. "Can I have the remote?" he asked into the room, raising his voice so he could be heard.

A few seconds later Thomas was smacked in the face by the remote. It bounced off and landed in Newt's lap. 

"Thanks Chuck!" Newt called out.

"No problem!"

"You're both sore losers!" Thomas told them, rubbing the slightly reddened skin on his cheek.

"Aw, honey, I'm sure that wasn't on purpose", Newt cooed.

He suppressed a smirk and switched on the TV, flickering through the channels until Thomas interrupted him by lightly slapping his hand and taking the remote out of his hands.

"Wait! How can you just skip past _Nightmare Before Christmas_!"

"It's a Halloween movie, Tommy."

"No, it's not! It literally has _Christmas_ in the title!"

"Yeah, and it also takes place in _Halloween_ Town!"

"Maybe it's meant to be watched from October all the way through December", Chuck put in from somewhere nearby.

"I like the way you think, Chuckie", Thomas said. "And also: ha! Two against won, sweetheart! We're watching this."

"Thanks, Chuck", Newt snarked. "Your stupid way of thinking forces me to listen to his godawful singing again."

 

* * *

 

The movie had already been halfway through when they'd turned in so it wasn't fully dark yet by the time it was over.

With somebody else now being in charge of the TV, Newt stopped paying attention and instead went after his own thoughts.

"I wanna build a snowman", Thomas said after a few seconds, his arms shifting a little around Newt.

Newt wrinkled his nose. "Out there in the cold with my busted leg? No thanks."

"Okay.  _I'm_ gonna build a snowman. You can just sit on the porch and watch."

"That's sounds real bloody boring, Tommy. I'll pass."

"Okay, I'll build it and you can help me decorate. Sound good?"

"Naaah."

"But this is an essential part of the full winter experience."

"Um ... nah."

" _Do you want to build a snowmaaaan? Come on let's go and plaaay!_ "

"Please stop!"

" _I never see you anymore! Please come out the door! It's like you've gone awaaay!_ "

"Please make him stop, Newt!" Chuck whined from somewhere out of sight.

"Okay, okay! I'll build a bloody snowman with you! Just _please_ , stop singing!"

"Hallelujah!" Thomas pushed to his feet, Newt still in his grasp. 

"What the hell, Tommy! No! Put me down! Put me down right this second, I swear to god! Tommy! _Tom!_ Thomas!"

"Chill, Newtie!"

When Newt was set back down on his feet, they were already at the front door, right at the bottom of the steps. Newt grumbled to himself as he straightened out his clothes. "Bloody idiot thinks he can just pick me up. I'm a grown ass man, dammit. Stupid goddamn fucking..."

Thomas snickered. "Calm down, babe." He pressed a small lingering kiss on Newt's cheek. "Just put on your shoes while I go get our coats from upstairs."

Newt glared as he watched Thomas leave. Despite how embarrassing it was to get carried bridal-style in front of his fake-boyfriend's family, he couldn't really get himself to be all that angry. After all, it was by far not the weirdest thing Thomas had ever done and Newt still chose to keep the idiot around, even going as far as to let him talk him into this entire ordeal.

Dropping down onto the bottom step with a pained groan, he leaned forward to pull up his shoes and get started on finding a way to put it on his feet without having to bend his bad leg. It was rather impossible. Gritting his teeth, he decided to just go ahead and breathe through the pain before Thomas could get back and catch him doing it.

It was weird, he realized. How much he'd gotten used to having Thomas around 24/7. Even with how long they'd been living together, they'd always had classes or other friends that would cause them to spend some time apart pretty much every day. But now they were literally living in each other's pockets. And funnily enough, Newt didn't mind. Yeah, he liked to complain and make snide comments every now and again, but there was never any real heat or annoyance behind it, otherwise he would have just packed his stuff and left.

Even the affectionate touches, gestures and words had taken on a warm note and it made him wonder what would happen once they got back to reality. Would they just fall back into their old habits? Would it be like none of this had ever happened? Did he _want_ that to happen? Gnawing at his bottom lip, Newt realized that, no, he didn't. Quite the opposite actually, he'd like to step it up a notch. The realization came with a hint of anxiety. He wanted to kiss his best friend. And this time, he wanted it to mean something.

"Huh", Newt said. "Shit."

Just then, Thomas came pounding down the stairs. "I got everything!"

He carefully navigated around Newt, pulling the dark blue beanie over Newt's head as he went. Once he was in front of him, he dropped a coat onto Newt's lap and started putting on his own shoes. "Come on! Get dressed! It's time to build a snowman!"

"You're worse than a five year old."

"I'll take that as a compliment", Thomas said, covering his hair with his rainbow-beanie.

"Take it however you want, Tommy."

Reaching out his hand, Thomas gently pulled Newt to his feet.

They headed outside, Newt making sure to pocket the key by the door so they wouldn't get locked out.

"So you stay here, and I'll go roll the balls!" Thomas paused, cocking his head. "That sounded a little strange but you know what I mean."

Newt rolled his eyes but didn't comment as Thomas jumped down the steps and started gathering enough snow to make a large sphere that he could comfortably push ahead in front of him. Newt decided to stay on the porch and carefully lift his bad leg onto the handrail, slowly stretching it out and massaging bellow his knee. 

After a few minutes, he gave up and joined Thomas in the snow where he'd just set the second ball down on the first.

"What do you wanna use for the face and buttons?" Newt asked.

Thomas made a thoughtful face, his gaze wandering across their environment. "Wait here!" he said after a moment, running off to god knows where.

Newt rolled his eyes and let him be, deciding to use his time to fuse the two spheres together by smoothing out the seam.

Thomas eventually returned with a handful of pebbles. He used three of them as buttons and handed the rest to Newt while he ahead and rolled the head.

"It needs arms", Newt pointed out after they'd placed the last ball on top.

"He was a soldier once, he lost them in the war", Thomas replied.

Newt raised an eyebrow but didn't stop pushing in the pebbles to give the snowman its face. "I see, you've given him a backstory."

"Of course." Thomas dug his hand into his coat pocket, pulling out Newt's scratchy beanie and carefully pulling it over the snowman's head. "There ya go. Ain't he a beauty?"

Newt took a step back, his eyes wandering across the disturbing asymmetrical face and disproportional small head. "Yeah ... beautiful."

"I can hear dishonesty in your voice and I don't like it."

"You're imagining things."

They stood there for a few more seconds before Newt sighed and let himself drop back into the snow. Looking up at the sky, he took in the shift in colors as the sun set and the day turned to night. 

Thomas stepped up to him, his eyebrows drawn together. "You okay there?"

Newt moved his arms and legs. "Just making a snow angel", he said. "It had to be done, you know." Actually, his leg had just been aching and he'd wanted to give it a small break but he wasn't about to tell Thomas that.

"Mine's gonna be a lot prettier than yours!" Thomas announced, flinging himself down beside Newt who cringed at the impact. Thomas couldn't even lie down like a normal person. 

"This is not a bloody competition, Tommy!"

"Then I'm making it one!"

A minute later, Newt was biting back his laughter as he watched Thomas try and fail to get up. Each time he fell back, he left another handprint on his snow angel's body.

"This thing's gonna look like demons tried to drag her down into the depths of hell."

Newt frowned, amused smile still tugging at his lips. "Oh yeah? Well, at least it'll have some trauma to bond over with our disturbing snowman over there."

Thomas huffed a breath, finally getting to his feet and turning around to help Newt up.

Looking down, Newt found his snow angel in flawless condition while Thomas's was mangled with hand- and buttprints.

"Well, I think it's pretty clear who the winner is", Newt teased.

"Yeah", Thomas agreed, nodding slowly. "Obviously, it's me."

"Are you kidding me? Yours looks like it was mauled by a hellhound!"

"Yeah, but it's got _character_. Yours looks like every other snow angel out there."

 

"Keep your bias to yourself, pretty boy. I won this one!"

"Okaaay. Fiine. Be like that."

Newt pumped his fist in victory. "Hell yeah! Or to be more appropriate: heavens yeah! So ... what's my price?" 

"Uh, a hug?"

Newt frowned. "I was more thinking along the lines of you doing my laundry when we get back to our dorm."

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen."

Newt snorted. "Of course not." He looked the snow prints over again. "Fine then: I'll take that hug now."

Glancing at Thomas, he saw him whip around, surprise written all across his face. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on!" Newt turned, opening his arms in invitation. 

Thomas's surprise melted into a smile as he leaned in, wrapping his arms carefully but firmly around Newt. He held on for quite some time, swaying them just a little. Newt could feel the heat pooling between them, even through his layers of clothing. Thomas's familiar smell filled him warmth, setting off tingles under his skin and a flutter in his gut that he knew he could have put a name to, but he didn't because he wasn't ready to admit it to himself just yet. So he simply sunk into the moment, enjoying it for what it was - two people embracing. 

"You're enjoying this too, aren't you?" Thomas sounded just a tad bit smug.

" _Juuust_ a little", Newt replied.

"I've never been so proud in my life", Thomas said, voice thick with feigned emotion.

"Okay, buddy, that's enough." Newt dropped his arms back to his sides.

"No no no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Thomas tightened his hold a little, rubbing up and down Newt's back.

Newt chuckled, lightly patting Thomas on the back a few times before pressing a quick kiss against Thomas's neck. It wasn't planned, he'd just felt the urge and followed through, but now he could feel the shiver that ran through Thomas because of it. There was a hint of satisfaction in Newt as he lingered near Thomas's warm skin, his breath puffing against it and warming up his face.

When Thomas pulled back, his face was flushed and there was a sparkle in his eye that Newt wasn't sure had been there before.

 

 

For a small moment, the world around them seemed muted as Thomas's hands rested on Newt's shoulder an upper arm. The air between them seemed charged and Newt could have sworn he saw Thomas's eyes dip to his mouth repeatedly. Part of Newt began to picture what would happen if he were to lean in and kiss Thomas right this moment but there was something holding him back. A distant worry that it made break whatever it was they had which was something Newt wasn't prepared to lose and not just because they were roommates or trying to convince Thomas's relatives, but because Thomas was one of the most important people in Newt's life.

Eventually, the moment was broken as Thomas cleared his throat and took a small step back, his arm dropping back to his side.

"We should- you know, go- go back inside." Thomas cleared his throat again. "Yeah."

Newt smiled softly, nodding. "Yeah, let's."

Thomas nodded back, shooting a small smile in return.

 

* * *

 

Getting up the stairs to their room was hell but Newt wasn't about to sit at the dinner table in snow-soaked clothes. The only good thing about his slow ascend was that it gave him time to think. About what had just happened out there. Now that the atmosphere around them had changed and they were back in their usual environment, he wasn't sure what to make of it. He still felt an urge to kiss Thomas, to find out what it would be like when they weren't being watched by prying eyes. But he also couldn't picture what the follow-up conversation to that would be like. Would Thomas gently let him down? Would he be over the moon and just initiate another kiss? 

His thoughts were interrupted by them reached their room. 

There was a tension in the air as they turned their backs on each other to get changed. Newt grit his teeth as he took of his jeans and exchanged them for sweatpants. As he was digging through his back for a warm sweater, he came across Thomas's hoodie. Eyeing it for a few moments, he decided to take his chances and see how Thomas would react to him choosing to wear it again.

Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, he found Thomas shrugging on an oversized blue hoodie. 

When Thomas caught his eye, he held up his hands, wiggling his fingers with a smile. "Look! Sweater-paws!" 

Newt snorted but didn't try to hide his fondness. "You get excited about the stupidest things."

Thomas opened his mouth to reply but stopped when his eyes landed on Newt's chest. "You're wearing my hoodie again."

 

"I am", Newt confirmed.

Thomas nodded slowly, his gaze still traveling across Newt's torso.

"It's really warm", Newt went on.

"It is."

"Quite soft, too." 

"Yeah." Thomas lightly shook his head, his eyes flickering back up to Newt's face. "It looks good on you."

Newt quirked a smile. "Thank you. Now come on, let's go back downstairs. At my current speed, they'll have already eaten when we get there."

 

* * *

 

Post-dinner, they were gathered in the living room again. There was some Christmas movie or other playing on the TV but Newt was barely paying attention as his thoughts were more focused on what the hell was going on with him and his developing feelings for the guy he was currently sitting on. This vacation really had taken a turn for the weird.

"I saw your snowman through the window", Chuck told them. For some reason, he'd decided to sit on the carpet by their armchair today. "It looks kind of ... weird. Actually no, it just looks downright creepy, like it's gonna come to life and break through the window and kill us all in our sleep."

"How dare you?" Thomas gasped. "This snowman fought bravely in the Great War against the yetis! Even when both his arms were lost, he kept defending his brethren with all his might!"

Newt chuckled. "Just don't fight him on it, Chuckie, it's pointless." He leaned forward a little to get closer to Chuck. "I'm with you, though. It does look sentient."

The boy chuckled even when Thomas huffed in offense.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Later in their bed, Newt slipped under the covers still dressed in the hoodie. He told himself that it was because he was still cold, and it was partly that, but really it was because it made him feel warm and fuzzy because Thomas had lend it to him out of worry and care.

"Are you still cold?" Thomas asked when he noticed.

"Yeah, but it'll pass." Newt was glad that the only source of light was the TV where some dark horror movie was playing because he could feel the flush on his face.

"Body heat is a good method of warming up, you know?"

Newt snorted. "You just want an excuse to cuddle."

"Yeah, maybe. Is it working?"

"I think it is. Come here."

The look on Thomas's face was priceless, making Newt laugh. 

"Come on or I'm pulling back the offer."

Thomas quickly shuffled closer, curling into Newt's side, always considerate of steering clear of Newt's bad leg. He was compliant as an arm was wrapped around his back that pulled him a little closer so his head wouldn't press down on the joint in Newt't shoulder.

When his foot brushed Newt's, he jumped a little. "It's like stepping barefoot into snow."

"Now picture that twenty-four-seven and you'll know what it's like to be me in winter", Newt replied, reaching up with his free hand to adjust his pillow before reaching down to properly cover them with the sheets.

"You feeling warmer yet?" Thomas asked after a few minutes of them lying there, barely paying attention to the movie that was still playing.

"I'm getting there", Newt answered, not wanting to admit that he wished he could take off the hoodie because Thomas was like an honest-to-god furnace and Newt was reaching his limit before he'd start sweating.

"Good." Thomas lightly rubbed his cheek against Newt's chest - once, twice - before settling again.

The comfortable silence that followed was short, only lasting a few minutes during which Newt tried to make up his mind about what to think of the way their relationship had developed over those last few days. Because he _knew_ that it had changed, but how much of it was them pretending and what of it was real? 

"What's changed?" Thomas asked.

Newt was caught off guard by the question. "W-What do you mean?"

"Why are you suddenly okay with this?"

Newt considered how to answer without giving his real thoughts away. And it wasn't like this was just a sudden development, his feelings had been shifted more and more along the way. He'd gotten more comfortable each day, especially since those few hours on the ice where they'd been goofing around, holding hands. He wasn't sure what exactly had happened to him in those moments but then again, he'd never really been in lo- had a crush before. "I don't know", he said after a beat. It wasn't a lie. Not a entirely, at least. "Just ... somewhere along the way I started to feel more comfortable. Around you at least. Maybe it's like exposure therapy." He chuckled.

He felt Thomas's soft laughter against his side. "Yeah, maybe."

Newt smiled to himself and glanced down at Thomas sprawled across his chest. "You know", he started. "I know I've been complaining a lot since we got here, but-" He took a deep breath, entangling his fingers in Thomas's curls. "I'm actually glad you talked me into this." He watched as the dark strands fell through his fingers before he combed through them again. "I would've missed you if I'd gone back to England with my family."

"Oh god, I would've missed you so freaking much." Thomas leaned into Newt's touch a little, making Newt smile. "I don't know what I would've done without your grumpiness and sarcasm. And I'd have never gotten to meet this side of you."

"You mean the next level snarkiness?" 

"No, the giant softy underneath all that."

Newt lightly tugged at Thomas's curls, not nearly hard enough to hurt. "Don't you dare ever call me that in front of anyone. Ever", he threatened. "This is between you and me-"

"And all of my family and distant relatives?" Thomas teased.

"Oh, screw you!"

Thomas turned to press a kiss over Newt's heart. "I'm sorry, babe. I promise I'll never call you a giant softy in front of our friends."

"And?"

"And anyone else at college."

"And?"

"And your sister."

Newt picked up the soothing motion again, enjoying the feeling of the soft strands between his fingers. "Good."

It took less than an hour for them to fall asleep in that position.

 


	6. Day 6

**Day 6**

The next morning didn't have a nice wake up call.

The sound of the door forcefully colliding with the wall was followed by an uncomfortably loud voice.

"We're going into the city! Get up! Are you  _cuddling_? You two are disgustingly cute. Now come on!"

Footsteps retreated, fading down the hallway.

Newt groaned as he opened his eyes. "W's tha' Chuck?" He sat up a little, noticing that Thomas was still sleeping. "Are you serious?"

He studied Thomas's sleeping face, slightly opened mouth, long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. It was kind of ... cute, weirdly so. Newt didn't let the thought distract him for too long.

He patted Thomas's cheek, hoping it would wake him. "Hey, Tommy, wake up!" Thomas only scrunched up his nose, grabbed Newt's hand and pulled it over his heart. The action hit Newt with a sense of déjà-vu that had him chuckling a little before he pulled out of the hold. Shaking Thomas's shoulder left him largely unfazed, telling Newt it was time to change tactics. Leaning down, he brought his head as close to Thomas's ear as possible before forcefully releasing a gust of breath, making Thomas jump and sit up faster than should be humanly possible.

Newt grinned when Thomas whipped around to face him, looking disheveled and confused. "Why did you do that?" he asked, voice thick with betrayal.

"Chuck came barging in. Apparently we're going into the city today, probably to stock up on food."

Thomas frowned. "I didn't hear anyone."

"Well, you didn't hear when the bloody fire-alarm went off in our dorm either. You'd have died in our room if I hadn't dragged you out of bed."

"The fire didn't even leave the room it started in! I'd have been just fine."

"Wouldn't wanna risk it. Now come on!" Newt ordered, motioning for Thomas to get up. "Time to get dressed, we're going out today!" He rolled off the mattress, shivering as his feet touched the cool floorboards.

"How's your leg?" Thomas asked.

"It's fine, a lot better than yesterday. I barely feel it anymore." Newt rummaged through his duffel, pulling out jeans, t-shirt and a button down.

"I'm glad", Thomas said earnestly.

Newt turned to look at him, finding him to be right in his personal space, far closer than expected. "Me too."

Thomas quirked a small smile. "You should still lay low today, though, just to be safe."

"I doubt that's gonna be possible, considering that we're gonna be running around a bunch of shops all day."

"We'll take frequent breaks then."

"Whatever you say, Tommy." Newt grabbed his clothes and pressed a short kiss to Thomas's cheek as he walked by.

It wasn't until he'd reached the bathroom that he realized what he'd just done. Forcing down his blush, he continued his routine, acting like nothing had happened.

Back in the bedroom, he found Thomas already dressed in jeans and a bright blue hoodie.

"I'll just quickly brush my teeth", he announced, brushing past Newt who shivered as he felt Thomas's hand slide across the small of his back in passing.

Newt waited until he heard the lock click before he mulled over whether he should wear Thomas's hoodie again or not. He definitely felt an urge to but wondered if it would come across as too much or weird. Then he realized that this was Thomas he was thinking about and simply shrugged it on and zipped it up. At this point, he could already hear the commotion of Thomas's family gathering in the hallway.

"Come on, Tommy! Sounds like they're already piling up in front of the door!"

He could hear the water hit the sink, followed by some shuffling around before Thomas appeared, dressed in similar fashion to Newt. "All done!" he announced, approaching Newt. As he stepped closer, his eyes traveled across Newt from head to toe. He smiled. "I like that you're wearing my hoodie all the time."

Newt shrugged it off. "It's really comfy. I wish I'd brought mine."

"Why?" Thomas asked. "Mine not good enough for your royal British standards?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "Just move your butt or Chuck'll come barging in again." 

He took his time down the steps, still feeling the ache in his bones. Thomas was glued to his heels, the worry around him nearly palpable.

"And just so you know", Newt commented, glancing over his shoulder. "Mine _is_ better. It has these thumb holes in the sleeves!" He lifted his hand, poking his thumb at the fabric. "That definitely gives it bonus points."

"Gimme some scissors and I'll modify this one for you."

"Hell no! I'm not gonna let you handle any sharp objects again! Those cuts on your fingers haven't even fully healed yet." Newt pointedly glanced at Thomas's hand, coming to a stop as they'd reached the hallway. "And besides, this is still yours and I intend to give it back in the same condition I got it."

Thomas waved the comment aside. "Nah, keep it. It looks better on you anyway."

Newt cocked his head. "You sure?"

Thomas reached out, his hands on either side of Newt's neck as they adjusted the hood. He quirked a smile. "Yeah."

Newt felt frozen in place as he stared at Thomas, their faces close enough that he could have counted Thomas's individual eyelashes. 

"Come on, boys! Time to go!"

Jody's voice made Newt jump slightly. Thomas took a step back, clearing his throat. "Come on, let's go."

 

* * *

  

It took about 15 minutes for everybody to clear their cars of snow and ice. And further minutes ticked by as everybody pulled from the parking lot. Being the last to arrive, Thomas and Newt were the last to leave, falling in line right behind Jody.

It was supposed to be a one hour trip, or so Jody had said, but Newt knew that this close to Christmas and with these kinds of weather conditions, they might just end up in a traffic jam. But hey, it would be fine!

They pulled onto the main road. Thomas switched on the radio. The CD started. It was his road trip soundtrack.

Newt bumped his head against the window.

 

* * *

 

**One minutes passed...**

 

" _Wooooaaah! We're half way theeere! WOOOO-HOOO! Livin' on a praaayeer_!"

 

* * *

 

**Five minutes passed...**

 

"And _I_ would walk five- _hun_ dred miles and _I_ would wake five- _hun_ dred more. Just to _be_ the man who _walked_ a _thou_ sand _miles_ to fall down at your door."

 

* * *

 

**Ten minutes passed...**

 

"I'm sitting here in a boring room, just another lazy Sunday afternoon. I'm wasting my time, I got nothing to do. Sitting here while I'm waiting for you but nothing ever happens. And I wonder - bum! Dum! _Bou!_ I wonder _how_ , I wonder _why_..."

 

* * *

 

It took half an hour before Newt was _that_ close to pushing Thomas out the door and continue driving by himself. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and switched off the radio.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?" 

"If you switch that thing back on, I'm gonna push you out of this _bloody_ car!" 

"But driving's no fun when you don't sing loudly!"

"It's even _less_ fun when you've got blood trickling out your ears!" Newt shot back. "So I'm sorry, honey, but you're just gonna have to deal with it!"

"Aw, you called me honey", Thomas cooed.

Newt frowned. "Shut up."

 

* * *

 

 

"So ... what should we do when we reach the city?" Thomas asked.

Newt shrugged. "I don't know. We could just roam the shops, buy some candy or go to the movies."

" _Night at the Museum 3_ is out", Thomas suggested. "I know you loved the first two."

Newt nodded. "Yeah, let's do that!"

"Woohoo! I promise I won't even judge you when you cry over seeing Robin Williams."

"Because you'll be too busy crying yourself?"

"Yeah, probably."

 

* * *

 

They followed Jody into the parking garage next to the mall, driving almost all the way to the top since they apparently all planned to park on the same deck.

They'd just pulled into a spot when Ingeborg's car squeezed in right next to them, close enough that Newt had trouble getting out without damaging both doors. It left him wondering how Ingeborg planned to do, considering she was curvier then him. 

As he looked at all the space to the right of the car and watched her climb over the gearshift and get out the passenger door, he really wondered had made her this way.

"Everybody here?" Thomas's grandmother asked.

Everyone turned to scan the crowd for missing persons.

"No? Alright then, here are shopping lists, one for every store we need to go to. Make groups of two or three and take a list. We'll meet here again at five!"

Thomas quickly snatched the shortest before grabbing Newt's hand and walking off.

They didn't stop until they'd left the building and were waiting at the light for the pedestrian crosswalk where Thomas glanced down, his eyes scanning the list.

"Oh."

"What is it?" Newt asked.

Thomas handed the paper over without comment.

Newt glanced at the first item and started laughing. "You grabbed the one for the drug store, you bloody idiot!" He smacked Thomas on the side of the head. "Well, that's gonna be fun."

"I'm sorry", Thomas muttered. He sighed. "Guess we'll have to buy some tampons."

They found the store quite quickly and got a wide variety of different reactions from other customers as they filled their shopping cart with toilet paper, pads and tampons. It was a relief to find that each bullet point was followed by a brand and size in brackets. They got through the aisles fairly quickly and ignored the raised eyebrows from the cashier at check out.

They left the store with five huge bags.

"I think we should take these to the car before we do anything else", Newt said, struggling to not drop anything.

"Yeah. Good idea."

 

* * *

 

 

Newt was standing near the post of the red light, watching the one across the street as cars rushed past. They were waiting together with several other pedestrians and at this point, Newt was more than ready to drop his bags and get rid of the ache in his shoulders. 

The light was still red when something pushed against his back, sending him stumbling into the streets with a sharp exhale. He heard a car honk loudly, felt the air blow into his face as his heart stopped beating and his lungs stopped breathing. Part of him knew that he was about to get run over and quite possibly die, and he accepted his fate. He was just about to get hit by a black minivan when an arm wrapped around his waist and hauled him back. 

His eyes were wide as he let out a shuddering breath.

Several voices reached his ear but he couldn't make them out. And it wasn't until hands pulled at his shoulders and turned him around that he came back to reality. 

Thomas's eyes were huge as he patted at Newt's chest, shoulders and neck, mumbling to himself and nodding repeatedly. The words sounds muffled to Newt's ears.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" The voice cut off. "He was just right beside the post and I needed to slow down or I wouldn't have made the turn!"

"You shouldn't be riding a bike on this sidewalk at all!" somebody else snapped back. "This here is pedestrians only for a reason, young man! You could have _killed_ him!"

"I know, I'm sorry! I really didn't-"

"Save it!" Thomas cut in. 

Newt heard the rustling of their bags but didn't really see what was going on until he'd blinked a few times. He lightly shook his head. "It's okay", he said, turning to look at the teen on a bike right behind him. "I'm fine, nothing happened. You should probably be more careful in the future, though. The next person might not be as lucky."

The teen nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Again: I'm so sorry."

Newt quirked a smile. "No harm done." He turned back around just as the light switched to green. Looking down, he saw that Thomas had picked up both their bags and frowned. He was just about to comment on it when Thomas hooked his arm around Newt's and started pulling him across the street.

They were quiet all the way to the elevator that would take them up to their deck. The silence was tense and Newt could see how white Thomas's knuckles were with how tightly he clenched their backs. It was worrying to say the least but Newt didn't really know what to say so he said nothing at all.

 

 

As the elevator doors slid shut, leaving them shut off from the outside world, Thomas let his shoulders sag and head drop back against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Newt finally asked.

Thomas's head shot up. "Am _I_ -" He broke off and laughed, a sound more hysterical than anything else. "You almost got hit by a car, Newt! You could have died!"

Newt drew his eyebrows together. "I'm aware, thanks. But nothing happened so why-"

 

"You were nearly _killed_! If I'd been just a second slower you'd be bleeding all over the street right now!"

"Maybe, yeah, but I'm here", Newt reassured. "I'm fine. Not even a scratch." He stepped closer to Thomas, touching his arm. "You saved me."

Thomas exhaled slowly, his eyes darting to Newt's eyes and away again. "I just- I don't know what-"

"It's okay", Newt cut him off. "Let's just drop off our bags and then we can relax, get some food, watch a film."

Thomas nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Just then the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

Thomas wouldn't leave Newt's side after that. He was always right there, brushing against his shoulder, holding his hand, his arm always darting in front of Newt whenever they stood at a crossing. Newt knew that Thomas had been out and proud for several years now, but even for him it was untypical to be this open with his affections in public - even if this city was known for its tolerant citizens. Still, Newt didn't shake him off, not once. He knew that, if things hadn't happened so fast earlier, _he_  would have been the one on edge and filled with anxiety, but as it was he'd started to feel normal again as soon as the short rush of adrenaline had passed. It didn't seem to be the same for Thomas.

 

"Now, how about we get those tickets for _Night at the Museum_?" Newt asked, hoping to distract Thomas from his constant alertness.

"Sounds great."

"Great!" Newt squinted against the sun as he looked down the road to their left. "I think I see the cinema over there by the shopping center!"

"You mean the _movie theater_ and the _mall_?" Thomas teased, his thumb rubbing circles into the back of Newt's hand.

"Keep your American vocab to yourself, peasant."

"I'll give you _peasant_ , you colonizing bastard!" Thomas tugged Newt closer until he could comfortably give him a noogie.

Newt quickly wiggled out of his hold, bumping back against the storefront behind him, still shaking with laughter. 

Thomas was watching him with bright eyes and a big grin before he grabbed Newt's wrist and continued to drag him along down the sidewalk.

They reached the movie theater a few minutes later and bought tickets for the next screening starting in little over an hour. Thomas insisted on paying for both of them and pocketed their tickets before guiding Newt back outside.

"Where are we heading?" 

"It's time for food!" Thomas announced. "I'm starving! We didn't even have breakfast yet."

"That's the best idea you've had all day." Newt looked down the storefronts lining each side of the street. "What were you thinking?"

"Cupcakes."

"It's one thirty in the afternoon and you want cupcakes?"

"Cupcakes!" Thomas repeated sternly.

Newt rolled his eyes. "Alright, cupcakes it is."

Thomas smiled as he wrapped an arm around Newt's waist, pulling him close so he could press a kiss against Newt's cheek. "Great! I think I even remember where I found that vegan bakery last year." 

It took them fifteen minutes but Thomas did actually get them to the small hole-in-the-wall place that looked like a combination of café and bakery. Stepping inside, Newt immediately felt comfortable. The place was warm, the light colors of the walls combined with the artwork above each booth giving it a cozy atmosphere that had him relaxing after the hectic city life they'd been surrounded with up until then.

Once inside, Thomas nudged Newt in the direction of a booth by the window. Newt sat down and watched as Thomas stepped in line behind two other customers to place their order. Sinking into the blue bench cushions, Newt tugged out his cellphone and loaded up an app game. He was busy killing a hoard of monsters on his island when Thomas slid in beside him.

Setting down two plates loaded with huge chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, Thomas molded himself against Newt, his head resting against Newt's shoulder as he watched the screen.

"The barista said she'll bring us the hot chocolate in a minute", he informed Newt.

"Okay."

"Looks like you're seriously overpowered in this game."

"I'm just grinding for points. I need to upgrade my weapon before I unlock the mines."

"How are you even level thirty when I remember you downloading the app just three weeks ago?"

"The beautiful combination of procrastination and insomnia."

Thomas hummed and continued to watch until Newt reached the next level and clicked off the screen. Lifting his head but not moving any further away, Thomas reached out to nudge Newt's plate in front of them. "Now, seriously, you need to try these cupcakes! I had one last year and it was the best thing I've ever tasted. I could practically _feel_  myself getting fatter with every bite but but it was so worth it."

Newt chuckled and picked up his fork. He could feel Thomas's eyes on him as he took the first bite. "Holy shit! You weren't kidding!"

Thomas grinned and pressed another kiss to Newt's cheek. "Enjoy!"

By the time the barista brought them their hot chocolates, they were both halfway through their food. She was smiling brightly at them as she set down the large cups. "Can I bright you anything else?"

They both shook their heads.

"But when you see the one who made these, please tell them that I love them", Thomas said earnestly. 

The barista laughed. "I'll let her know!"

Thomas put a hand over his heart. "Thank you."

With a smile and a small head shake, the barista headed back behind the counter.

Once their plates were basically licked clean, Newt leaned back into the cushions, Thomas leaning heavily against his side. They were both cradling their cups, taking slow sips every now and again.

"I'll never move again", Thomas said.

"Me neither", Newt replied.

Thomas sunk further against Newt's side, his head resting against Newt's upper arm. "How much longer till we have to be at the movies?"

Newt set his cup on the table and tugged out his cellphone. "Twenty minutes."

"Shit. We need to go." Thomas groaned, sitting up straighter. "We'd like to pay!" he called out, raising his hand.

The same barista from earlier walked up to them, an amused smile on her face. "I take it, you enjoyed the rest of your meal?"

"Hell yeah, we did!" Thomas agreed, giving her a wide smile. "I love this place."

"It was all really amazing", Newt added.

"You two are too cute." She gave them another sweet smile.

Thomas demanded to pay for them both and also gave a huge tip before they stood up to leave. The street outside was almost free of people, only the occasional pedestrian walking by, the majority of them being young adults absorbed in their own little worlds as they looked at the ground, headphones in place.

"You should really stop paying everything for me", Newt mumbled as soon as they'd left the bakery. "I don't like feeling like owe people something."

Thomas bumped their shoulders together. "Don't feel bad! Take it as a 'thank you' for coming here with me in the first place."

"I think you've thanked me enough for that", Newt insisted. "I mean, you basically just saved my life! I think that's enough 'thank you' for a lifetime."

"That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't talked you into coming here to begin with." Thomas slowed down a little. "Oh shit, Newt! I almost caused your _death_!"

Newt quickly darted out to grab Thomas's arm, rolling his eyes. "Alright, I'm gonna stop your right there, you bloody idiot. You're making too big a deal of this!" He looked into Thomas's eyes, making sure that his honesty was conveyed through not just words but also expression. "Nothing happened. And the car wasn't even that fast! I would've most likely gotten away with a few broken bones and a concussion if you hadn't been on me in time."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel any better, Newt!" Thomas looked down at somewhere near Newt's chest for a second before he locked their gazes together again. "What if he had run you over? What if you had hit your head on the floor hard enough for your brain to swell and stop you from being capable of fine motor skills? What if you had _died_? It would've been _my_ fault!"

Newt gently took Thomas's face between his hands, his fingers brushing against Thomas's neck while his thumbs rested just along Thomas's cheekbones. "Calm down, Tommy! I'm fine, you're fine. Nothing happened. You didn't force me to come here, it was _my_ decision and I'm quite certain that the car wouldn't have killed me even if you hadn't stepped in." He didn't allow his gaze to waver, even as Thomas's eyebrows drew together. "I'm gonna be here, right at your side, for many more years. You know, because you need someone to call you out on your bad jokes and keep your enthusiasm on realistic levels."

Thomas's eyes darted back and forth between Newt's. "You could have _died_ , Newt", he repeated, voice low.

Newt sighed. "Tommy..." He ducked his head, his thumbs brushing over Thomas's cheeks. When he looked back up a few seconds later, Thomas's eyes were still as earnest and filled with worry. " I really don't know what to tell you. It happened, it's over and I mean, I'm incredibly grateful that you reacted so quickly but I don't know what you're expecting from me here."

"Don't ever cross roads without my supervision?" Thomas suggested.

Newt smiled softly. "Okay." He dropped his hands from Thomas's face, fingers drifting down Thomas's neck and arms. He kept up their eye contact for another moment before he lightly spread his arms. "How about a hug?"

Thomas nodded quickly and pulled him close. 

Newt couldn't remember any past embraces that compared to this one. Thomas's face was buried in Newt's shoulder and his hold was far tighter than usual. There was an urgency behind it that spoke of how truly affected Thomas was at the moment. Every other second, he would lightly shift his hold to cling just that little bit harder and move a hairsbreadth closer. Newt did his best to let his body language speak for him by clutching back just as tightly and rubbing reassuring circles into Thomas's back. 

"I think we'll need to hurry if we want to see the trailers before the movie", Newt said softly after quite some time had passed.

Thomas nodded into his shoulder and lingered for only a second more. When he pulled back he seemed to have settled back into himself, though the grasp on Newt's hand remained firm as they walked to the movie theater.

 

* * *

 

They did manage to get there in time to see the trailers and Thomas even let go of Newt as soon as they stepped through the doors, though Newt assumed that had more to do with both of them being men than with Thomas feeling any better about the situation.

They stuck to their seats during the movie, both of them thoroughly absorbed in the story line. It was weird for Newt when the lights turned back on, bringing him back to the real world where everything was far less magical and dinosaur skeletons where just reminders of a time long passed.

"I still can't believe Robin Williams is dead", Thomas said quietly as they pushed open the doors.

"Me neither", Newt replied.

"What I also can't believe is that Hugh Jackman made an appearance."

Newt chuckled. "Yeah, that _was_ unexpected."

Thomas grabbed Newt's hand again as they joined the steady stream of pedestrians on the sidewalk. "I was just waiting for Jedediah and Octavius to kiss."

"Yeah, me too. Sad that it didn't happen though."

"At least it ended on kind of a happy note."

"Still, I wish Larry had went in. I wanted him to join the party."

"Yeah, me too." Thomas pushed his hand into his pocket, retrieving his cellphone.

"What time is it?" Newt asked.

"Four twenty-three. We still have some time."

"Wanna go into the _mall_?"

Thomas smiled, squeezing Newt's hand. "Yeah, sure."

Just a few minutes after they'd entered the building, they ran into Ingeborg and Chuck accompanied by his parents.

"Hey guys!" Chuck greeted, smiling widely. "What have you been up to?"

"We went to the movies", Newt answered.

"Which film?"

" _Night at the Museum 3_ ", Thomas answered.

"Oh, man, I wanted to see that, too!"

Thomas gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, buddy. We didn't know."

Chuck waved it off. "Wouldn't want to disturb your date anyway. You seem like you'd start making out ten minutes in."

Newt was about to protest when Chuck's parents called out for their son.

"Coming!" Chuck called back before turning to give the others a small wave. "See you at the car in a few minutes!"

They watched him run off before looking at each other.

"Wanna buy some candy?" Thomas asked.

"Sure."

As they walked the aisles in the candy shop Newt realized that Chuck was right. Not about the making-out thing but about the date-thing. What they'd been up to today, from an outsider's perspective it all must have looked very much like a date. The eating together with Thomas snuggled into his side, the constant hand holding and Thomas paying for everything, the small kisses and the lingering hug and all without anyone being around that they needed to convince. And it wasn't just a recent development either, this had been gong on for quite some time. So when ...  when had they stopped pretending and started actually dating? And was he the first to notice? Had Thomas figured this out already as well? Was he fine with it? Did he want to date Newt as well? Did Newt himself even want to take this friendship and morphe it into something else?

"Chips, chocolate or gummies?"

"Huh? What?"

Thomas raised an eyebrow, gesturing at the huge shelves around them. "Chips, chocolate or gummies?"

Newt's eyes scanned over the dozens of options and the colorful packaging. "Uh ... I don't know. I'm up for anything. You pick."

Thomas looked at him, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "You okay?"

Newt quirked a small smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

Thomas looked like he didn't fully believe him, yet he didn't comment further. "I'll just take one each."

"Okay, I'll pay half."

"Could I talk you into letting me pay again?"

"Nope, not this time."

"Alright then." Thomas dropped his hold on Newt's hand. As his fingers brushed along Newt's palm in the process, he successfully sent shivers up and down Newt's spine.

Both their arms loaded with snacks, they made their way to check out and left the store with two large bags. Thomas didn't reach to hold Newt's hand again. It was a little disappointing. Newt wondered if he should be the one to initiate the contact again, if maybe Thomas was waiting for it. Newt lightly bit at his bottom lip as his eyes darted down to Thomas's hand and then back up to the people around them. All of these strangers that seemed more absorbed in their own thoughts than anything else. He wondered if they'd start paying attention to the two of them if Newt were to entangle their fingers again.

With a quiet deep breath, Newt did just that. Thomas shot him a small smile and gave his hand a small squeeze before continuing about their way.

A few minutes of silent walking passed before they spotted Jody with her husband. They were just leaving a store and their eyes settled on their son and Newt almost immediately.

"Hey boys! Did you have fun?" Jody asked.

"Yeah!" Thomas smiled. "We were at this vegan bakery, you know the one with the cupcakes? And then we watched _Night at the Museum 3_  . And a few minutes ago we bumped into Chuck."

Jody had a fond motherly look in her eyes. "I'm glad that you two had a great time."

"Thank you. How was _your_ day?" Newt asked.

"It was nice", Jody said, leaning a little into her husband. "I enjoyed coming back to civilization after five days of being cooped up with the same people in the same house. But I think we should go back now. It's getting dangerously close to five and my mother in law doesn't kid around when she sets a deadline."

"You do _not_ wanna get on my mother's bad side", Thomas's father agreed. 

Jody looked away from them. "Let's go that way. The side exit will take us closer to the parking garage."

 

* * *

 

They were drove in silence for the first few minutes of the ride back until Thomas switched on the radio, settling on a classic rock station.

"I've never heard you sing", Thomas said between songs.

"So?" Newt asked.

"I wanna hear it", Thomas clarified.

Newt snorted. "Well, sucks for you because that's never gonna happen."

"Please?"

"No."

"What if we sing a duet?" Thomas suggested.

"Tommy..."

" _Please?_ " He didn't even wait for a response, just put in a CD and skipped the first song.

"That's not even a duet!"

"But it's put together in a way that I've never managed to sing by myself so come on! Fulfill my wish!"

Newt rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, but you start."

Thomas grinned and skipped back to the beginning of the song.

 

* * *

 

They'd spent pretty much the whole car ride singing one song after the other. When one popped up that was titled _You're Mine_ and Thomas turned to wink at him, Newt just rolled his eyes even as his cheeks heated up. When they pulled up at the cabin, Newt felt almost sad that their jamming session was over.

"You should've told me that you can sing", Thomas said as they got out of the car.

"I don't sing that well and you never asked anyway", Newt replied as they opened the trunk and gathered their bags.

"I shouldn't need to! This is important information that one should give without being asked!"

"Not everyone lives by the same rules as you do, Tommy."

"But they should."

Inside the house, they toed off their shoes before carrying the bags into the dining area where they dropped them on the table to join the ones already spread out there.

"Okay boys, I'll prepare dinner now. You go help the others with the unpacking!"

Newt looked at the person that had spoken to them, confused by how unfamiliar they seemed to him. Where all of these people even the same ones he'd met upon arrival? If so, how come he still couldn't place even half of them? He lightly shook his head. He should probably start paying more attention when they all sat together.

 

* * *

 

It was already 8pm by the time they'd finished unpacking and eating. Instead of watching movies, they all decided to retreat to their rooms.

"I'm too lazy to shower right now", Newt mumbled from his spot on the bed.

"Yeah, me too." Thomas rolled onto his back beside him, folding his hands behind his head. "I think I'll shower tomorrow morning." He scratched at the light stubble on his chin. "And I should probably shave then, too."

"Me too."

"We still need to put on our pajamas though."

Newt groaned unhappily but rolled onto his stomach, to push himself back and off the bed.

They got changed with their backs to each other and brushed their teeth side-by-side in the bathroom. It was strangely domestic in a way it had never been before, but it was pleasant, something Newt would happily look forward to for the rest of his life. He should really stop thinking about marriage when they hadn't even established the status of their current relationship.

They curled up under the covers, both sticking to their own sides for now.

"I think I can still feel my stomach trying to digest the cupcake", Newt mumbled into his pillow.

"Me too."

Newt rolled onto his back. "It's worth it though, that was one bloody good cupcake."

"I agree."

They were quiet for a while, both just lying there and staring at the ceiling. The air between them felt charged, filled with unspoken words that should be spoken.

"You want to see what's on TV?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, sure." When Thomas settled on the _Disney Channel_ , Newt raised an eyebrow. " _Gilmore Girls_? Really?"

"Hell yeah."

Newt shook his head with a chuckle.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey, Tommy, can I ask you something?" 

"Sure", came the immediate reply.

"Are we dating?"

Newt could feel Thomas turn to stare at him. When he looked, Thomas's eyes were opened wide. "What?" Thomas sounded surprised, nervous, worried.

"This. We. Us. Are we dating?"

"Uh ... not- not that I know of."

"Okay."

It was quiet for a while.

"Why? Do you want us to be?" Thomas sounded unsure.

Newt bit his lip. "I don't know. Maybe. I mean ... we're already acting like it, right? With the hugging and the kissing and the cuddling and ... we've been living in each other's pockets for so long and we can make each other laugh and communicate without words..." He trailed off.

Thomas didn't speak for a few moments. He looked thoughtful, nervous. "Can I ask _you_ something?"

"Of course."

"You enjoy the hugs, right?"

"Yes."

"What about the cuddling?"

"It's alright."

"And the kisses?"

Newt cleared his throat. "They were..." He trailed off, looking up at the ceiling, recalling the memories. "Warm. Soft. Unexpected."

"What would you say if I told you I liked it?"

"I'd agree." 

"And if I said I'd like to do it again."

Newt looked back at Thomas, taking in his flushed face before zeroing in on his lips.

He didn't waste any more time to put a hand on Thomas's cheek and pull him in. It was different, now that they were without audience. Better. More intimate. He could feel Thomas lightly nipping at his lower lip before smoothing it over with his tongue, causing Newt to part his lips and deepen the kiss further. The warmth built up between them as they pulled each other closer until their was barely enough space for them to breathe every time they broke apart for a split second before one of them became impatient and leaned back in. When things started to get heated, Thomas pulled back and leaned his forehead against Newt's with a breathless chuckle.

"That was ... really nice", Thomas breathed out, caressing Newt's cheek with his thumb.

"Yeah?" Newt laughed, carding his fingers through dark curls.

"Hmhm."

"Good 'cause I enjoyed it too." Newt pressed another small kiss to Thomas's lips, resisting the urge to take it any further than a peck.

Thomas smiled and returned the small kiss. 

Newt continued to trace small circles against Thomas's cheekbone. "We better go to sleep now. God knows when someone will burst in here tomorrow."

Thomas nodded, their foreheads brushing together at the motion. 

They stayed on their sides after Thomas had switched off the TV. And as Newt lay there, relishing in their closeness and the sweet soft ache that came with the need to get even closer, he remembered the conversation they'd had in the beginning. How he'd told Thomas he was hoping to find someone who he wouldn't mind being close with. Who would've thought that this person was the one he was talking to at the time?

Newt leaned forward for one last slow kiss. Soaking in the drag of lips and sensation of Thomas's stubble brushing against him. "G'night, Tommy."

"Night, Newt."

 


	7. Day 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the most demanded Chapter of all time - like WOW!  
> But you all gave me such lovely feedback and such beautiful, nice comments so I thought FUCK EVERYTHING - I'll sit down and write this now!  
> So here it is - I hope it met your expectations!

**Day 7**

Newt woke up first the next day, feeling warm and cozy and well-rested. It was quite dark rain was tapping against the window, making him feel just that tad bit more comfortable in his position, all snuggled up against his _boyfriend_. The thought made his heart do a little flip.

Slowly raising his head a little, he looked up at Thomas who still seemed to be wandering through dreamland. Lifting a hand, he slowly started tracing Thomas's features, trying to wake him up as gently as possible. It didn't work - of course it didn't, this was Thomas after all. The guy could sleep through an earthquake. Still, Newt had a full bladder urging him to get up so he slowly started to wiggle out of Thomas's embrace.

"Wha're you doin'? C'me back", Thomas mumbled, his voice sleep rough.

"'m sorry, Tommy, but I need to use the bathroom", Thomas whispered.

"You c'ming back to bed after, right?" Thomas asked.

Newt looked at the adorable mildly disoriented expression of his boyfriend and realized that yes, he still couldn't deny Thomas anything. "Sure." He pressed a soft lingering kiss to Thomas's cheek before getting up.

He found him still curled up in bed when he returned, though the TV was now also playing on a low volume.

"I thought you wanted to sleep?" Newt crawled back onto the bed, gently tugging Thomas into his side.

"I do but I'm sure just lying around is pretty boring."

"Hm, depends on what you're doing while you're lying there."

Thomas chuckled and pressed a kiss into Newt's neck. "Your dirty little mind could get us into trouble around here. Unless you're into Ingeborg walking in on us doing the horizontal tango."

Newt cringed. "Why'd you have to put that picture in my head?"

"A good relationship is all about sharing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You know, sharing secrets, childhood stories, orgasms..."

Newt smacked Thomas lightly over the head. "Not now, Tommy!"

"Ouch! Hey, you started it!"

"I did, but then you had to turn around and mention your weird aunt."

"Great-aunt, actually."

"Same difference."

They were quiet for a while until Thomas broke the silence. "So ... no orgasms?"

Newt started carding his fingers through Thomas's hair. "I can't control what you do alone in the shower."

Thomas began tracing patterns over Newt's chest, slowly starting to trace his fingers down toward Newt's bellybutton. "You could also come into the shower with me."

Newt quickly caught hold of Thomas's wandering hand, pulling it back up. "Nope."

"Aw, _man_." Thomas looked up at Newt. "What about kissing?" 

"Hmm ... not really a fan of morning breath."

"Yeah, me neither." Thomas paused. "We should brush our teeth."

"Yup."

"But I'm too lazy to move."

"Me too."

Another comfortable silence settled around them, only broken by the sound of the rain and TV. Newt felt Thomas's weight settle heavier into his side like he was starting to drift back off to sleep under Newt's gentle tugging of his hair. It was nice, just laying like that, not worrying about anything but just enjoying this new development of their relationship. It should have felt a little weird, considering how they'd gotten there, but it didn't. It just felt natural like this was how it was meant to be and everything before that was just the prelude. 

"We're like an old married couple already", Thomas mumbled into Newt's chest. 

"Hm?"

"We should be making out like crazy. Or even screwing in the shower like the twenty-something's we are but instead we're cuddling in bed watching morning TV like a bunch of senior citizens."

Newt snorted. "It _is_ a little weird, right? It's like we just went from strangers to dating to old married couple without even _noticing_."

Thomas nodded, his cheek rubbing over Newt's t-shirt as he started brushing his fingertips over Newt's ribs again. "I don't mind, though."

"Me neither. That's why it works, I guess."

 

* * *

 

They watched TV for about two hours, neither of them moving more than a few inches. It was nice and quiet like they'd created their own little bubble away from the rest of the world where nothing could touch them and everything was peaceful. There were no obnoxious nosy relatives, no near-death experiences - it was just them. Together.  

Except it wasn't. 

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Thomas called out.

Jody stuck her head in the room and gave them an amused smile. "Don't you want to leave this room at all today?"

"Why? What time is it?" Thomas asked.

"It's twelve thirty and lunch will be ready in half an hour."

"What?" Newt sat up causing Thomas to make an unhappy sound as he got pushed aside.

He tried to pull Newt back down but he wouldn't have it.

"Tommy!" Newt sighed. "Let me go, we can't just stay in here all day!"

"Why not? It's nice and warm and the weather outside sucks anyway."

"We need to eat", Newt pointed out.

"I still have the stuff we bought yesterday, we can live off that!"

Newt raised an eyebrow as he looked down at his boyfriend. "Tommy, you're an idiot and you're lucky that I care about you so much."

"I know and that's why I'm dating you and not someone else."

Newt squinted his eyes at him. "So you're saying that you're dating me because I'm the only one willing to put up with you?"

Thomas pursed his lips. "You're also really damn cute?" he offered.

Newt rolled his eyes and let Thomas pull him back down and curl up against his side, his back to his mother. Looking back at Jody, Newt gave her a pointed look. "We'll be down in time, I promise."

Jody gave them the widest grin Newt had ever seen. "Alright, if you say so. Have fun, boy!" She closed the door behind her.

Newt started jostling his shoulder to get Thomas to look at him. "Come on, Tommy, time to shower and get dressed!"

Thomas gave him a betrayed look. "You're really forcing me to get up?"

"Yup."

"But ... but ..."

"Nope, stop it. I'll go shower now, and when I'm back you'll be out of that bed or I won't kiss you ever again." Newt didn't wait for an answer as he wiggled out from underneath Thomas and crawled off the bed, heading for the bathroom.

"You're even meaner now that we're dating!" Thomas called after him, no heat behind his words.

"Gotta be consequential to your actions, sweet-cheeks!" 

 

* * *

 

When Newt reappeared from the bathroom with a big fluffy towel wrapped around him, Thomas was sitting on the edge of the bed with the covers around his shoulders and a pillow cuddled to his chest.

"I'm gone for fifteen minutes and you're replacing me with a _pillow_?" Newt asked dramatically.

Running with the joke, Thomas flung the pillow from him and jumped up. "It's not what it looks like!"

"I can't _believe_ it!"

"I was just so lonely and it was there and I was weak", Thomas explained. " _No_ , there is no justifying it." He stepped closer to Newt, placing a hand on his cheek. "Can you forgive me?"

"I don't know if I will ever be able to trust you again", Newt turned away, Thomas's hand sliding off his face.

Thomas faked a sob. "But I _can't_ live without you!"

"Get out of my sight, Thomas! I can't even look at you right now!" Newt stepped closer to the balcony doors, his back to Thomas.

Walking up behind Newt, Thomas wrapped an arm around Newt's waist, the contact heated against Newt's skin. "I'm sorry", Thomas whispered as he leaned in to press a kiss to Newt's cheek before disappearing into the bathroom.

"You're forgiven!" Newt called after him.

Thomas's laughter was muffled through the door.

Newt shook his head with a chuckle as he walked over to his bag to get dressed. He settled for sweatpants and stole an oversized green and black striped hoodie from Thomas. The perks of being in a relationship.

He settled for watching TV until Thomas showed up, already dressed in similar clothes to Newt's.

His smile was wide when he laid eyes on Newt. "Will you look at this? I'm gone for fifteen minutes and he's stealing my clothes."

"Payback for the pillow", Newt teased before switching off the TV and getting up. He stepped into Thomas's personal space, wrapping his arms around Thomas's neck who in turn put his around Newt's middle. "You know what else would reassure me that you're not cheating on me with the pillow anymore?"

Thomas smiled. "I think I can think of something." 

The kiss was slow and sweet, the pressure just right to get Newt's muscles to melt and the tingling going. Their mouths barely parted but it felt no less amazing than the kiss the night before.

Despite his desire to keep doing nothing but this for the rest of his life, Newt was the first to pull back. "I wanted to say giving me all the smurfs with the red hats but that works too."

Thomas snickered and pressed another kiss to the corner of Newt's mouth. "Never change, Newt."

"I didn't intend to."

Thomas tugged Newt in once more. "Time for lunch", he said when they broke apart next. His voice was deep and a little hoarse. It was doing things to Newt. Still, the had to leave so he nodded and followed Thomas into the hallway and down the stairs.

 

* * *

 

They were still on time for lunch but got amused looks from everyone. Afterwards in the living room, with Newt curled up on Thomas's lap, they were watching some weird movie with John Travolta when the doorbell rang.

"Must be Rachel!" Ingeborg announced happily before literally sprinting to the door.

"Who's Rachel?" Newt whispered.

"Distant cousin of Ingeborg's, I think", Thomas replied quietly.

Newt nodded in return.

The voices coming from the hallway almost fully drowned out the TV, but still Newt couldn't make out any words. But what he could hear was small and shrill meowing.

"Did she bring a cat?" Newt asked, frowning.

Thomas's eyes widened and he shot to his feet, pretty much picking Newt up before setting him down as soon as he was standing. He was dragging Newt by the wrist as he gunned for the front door.

There was a beautiful dark-skinned woman standing in the hallway, holding a dark blue animal transport box with a black grid door. Ingeborg stood beside her but excused herself when she saw them, mumbling something about telling the rest of the family.

Rachel's face split into a wide smile when she saw them eyeing the box.

"Did you bring a kitty?" Thomas asked, sounding as if he were trying to hide his excitement.

"I picked her up from the vet on the way here", she answered, still smiling.

"Hello, I'm Newt. And I believe you already know my overeager boyfriend." Newt offered Rachel his hand who shook it with a wide grin. And he noticed that, despite his recent development with Thomas, he still felt uncomfortable with the grip on his hand. Apparently it really was just Thomas who was the exception to the rule.

"I do", she replied with a chuckle.

"Do you live nearby?" Newt questioned.

Rachel nodded. "Just twenty minutes away, a little town further down the hill."

"Oh, that's nice. I'm sure it's a lovely place."

"It's really boring, believe me. There's basically just houses and a tiny bakery. We need to go the city for everything else."

"Yes, really nice. What about the kitty?" Thomas interrupted them, looking everything like a child about to start bouncing on his toes.

Rachel chuckled and put the box down. She knelt down in front of it and gently unlocked and opened the door. "She's really family friendly since I raised her by hand", she informed them as a small black and white kitten with bright green eyes appeared.

"Look at her, she's so _tiny_ ", Thomas cooed. "What's her name?"

"Tabby", Rachel replied.

"Can I pick her up?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Oh my _god_ ", Thomas whispered as he slowly lowered himself to the ground. Tabby stepped closer to him, sniffing at his legs before slowly climbing on top of them. "Look at this, Newt, she's so tiny and fluffy and adorable."

Newt smiled at the picture of his six foot tall boyfriend sitting on the floor, slowly rubbing his index finger over the head of a kitten. Sliding down the wall next to Thomas, Newt crossed his legs so their knees touching before he offered his hand to the little ball of fluff who sniffed at it before walking closer until she stood on both their knees.

"She likes you", Thomas whispered, bumping their shoulders together. "What a good judge of character."

Newt wasn't sure who was being more adorable right now: the kitten or the man next to him. But then again: he was rather biased. Gently trailing his fingers of Tabby's soft ears, Newt smiled at the sensation of the warm and soft hairs under his fingers as he reached to tickle Tabby under the chin.

"How long will you stay?" Thomas asked, looking up at Rachel.

"Not for long. I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, then I need to take Tabby home to my kids. They can't wait to see her."

"But she's so cute! You can't take her away again, I've grown attached!" Thomas whined.

"Sorry, Tom." Rachel looked genuinely apologetic which didn't surprise Newt, considering his familiarity with Thomas's impact on other people's emotions. "I'm sure you and your boyfriend can arrange a visit before going back home."

"You'd be okay with that?"

"Of course. Just call before you come over."

"Yeah, sure! I'll take you up on that."

" Would you take care of Tabby for a second while I say hello to everyone?"

Thomas just nodded and carefully picked up the kitten to cradle her against his chest.

Rachel offered them another smile before she started heading toward the living room. 

"Just look at her, Newt! Look at how adorable she is. The little paws, the fluffiness, the tiny ears." Thomas sounded so incredibly happy that Newt couldn't hold back a goofy smile.

"I know, Tommy, she _is_ really damn cute." Newt pressed against Thomas's side so he could continue to pet the kitten as well.

Tabby almost went cross-eyed as she watched Newt's index finger. When it touched her nose, she leaned back to lick the tip before sniffing it and lightly biting down. It barely even tickled and made Newt chuckle as he took his hand back to scratch her behind the ears.

Rachel's voice interrupted them. "I'm starting to feel kind of bad that I have to take her away from you. But my kids really miss her."

Thomas looked genuinely upset as he looked down at the kitten still cradled to his chest.

Pushing to his feet, Newt looked down at his boyfriend. It made him wish they were allowed pets in their dorms. "You'll see her again, Tommy, don't worry", he said gently.

Thomas gave a slight nod but made a heartbreaking face as he put the little ball of luff into the transport box.

Rachel gently closed the door and picked up the carrier, though she waited for Thomas to get up as well before she headed for the door. The look on Thomas's face was heartbreaking as he watched one of Tabby's tiny paws peek through the grid. Her small meow tugged even at Newt's heartstrings.

When he looked at Thomas, he saw him give a tiny wave, his lower lip trembling. Newt stepped closer and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's waist, squeezing him lightly as Rachel called out a last goodbye before closing the door behind her.

Thomas didn't move.

"You gonna be okay?" Newt asked after a few seconds of silence.

He only got a whimper as answer.

Newt leaned in to press a soft lingering kiss to Thomas's cheek before grabbing his hand and slowly pulling him back to the living room where he pushed him gently onto the armchair. Their every move was being followed by fond looks but this time, Newt didn't really care. He knew that most people would find them to be acting silly over such a small thing but Thomas looked genuinely upset and Newt wasn't about to judge him for it. He knew how quickly Thomas got attached, especially to animals. Newt once found him screaming out a "nooo" in the bathroom because a fly had flown into the tab water stream while Thomas was brushing his teeth.

So Newt looked down at his boyfriend and climbed slowly onto his lap, curling an arm around Thomas's waist as he leaned into his chest and pressed another kiss onto his jawline. "We'll visit them in a few days", Newt whispered. "I bet the kitty will be happy to see you."

Thomas nodded before wrapping his arms around Newt and leaning his head against Newt's.

"Maybe we can get a kitten someday", Newt said after a few minutes. "You know, after college."

"Two?"

Newt rolled his eyes with a fond smile. "Okay, two kittens."

Thomas nodded again.

 

 

* * *

 

When Thomas's relatives decided that it was time for charades, Thomas announced that he was too depressed for this sort of activity and dragged Newt upstairs with him.

As soon as they were through the door, Thomas headed for the bed to throw himself down face-first, leaving Newt to close the door.

"The world is a cruel place", Thomas said after he'd turned his head to breathe.

"I know, Tommy." Newt settled down beside the man.

"It gave me a kitten just to take it away from me within the hour - how is that fair?"

Newt reached out to touch Thomas's hair, raking his fingers through the dark curls. "It's not."

"And you promise we'll get a kitty after college?"

Newt gave him a loving smile. "I promise."

Thomas nodded. "Good." He was quiet for a while, seemingly enjoying the feeling of the fingers in his hair if the way he was leaning into the touch and closing his eyes was anything to go by. "We'll name it Steve."

"What if it's a girl?"

"Doesn't matter."

"You can't just name a female kitten Steve."

"Name's don't have genders, Newt - they're just a bunch of noises shoved together."

"Okay, whatever. We'll name it Steve."

Thomas gave him a smile. "Great."

 

* * *

 

 

They were still lying on the bed three hours later, with Thomas now watching TV on low volume while Newt's head was resting in his lap. Newt was busy reading the first book of the _Gone_ -series Thomas had given to him for Christmas, though he was slightly distracted by the way Thomas's fingers were absently playing with his hair. Thomas's other hand was patting around the bed in search of the bag of gummies.

"You think we'll ever grow tired of each other?" Thomas asked.

Newt looked up from his book. "No. Why?" He dug his head slightly into Thomas's thighs to glance up at him. "Are you already breaking up with me?"

Thomas lightly smacked him over the head before resuming to twist blonde curls around his finger. "No, you doofus. I was just wondering."

"Well, since you're about the most mental person I've ever met, I don't think I'll ever grow tired of you. It'd have to be the other way around to end this relationship."

"Do you really think I'd do that you?" Thomas asked, sounding way too serious for Newt's liking.

Knowing that this was possibly going to turn into a _thing_ , Newt bookmarked his page and set the book aside before sitting up to properly look at Thomas. "I was just joking, Tommy", he said softly, locking their eyes together.

"You'd break up with me if you didn't want me anymore, right? You wouldn't cheat on me or just leave?"

Newt frowned. "Why are you talking like that? Where do all those gloomy thoughts suddenly come from?"

"I think the loss of Tabby sent my brain to a dark place", Thomas replied.

"Well, tell your brain to get outta there. This relationship here isn't even a day old! We don't need those thoughts!" Newt trailed his fingers across Thomas's temple, all the way down to his jaw before cupping his cheek. "Now to answer your question: no, I'd never, _never_ cheat on you because I think it's the most disgusting and awful thing one can do in a relationship without breaking the law. And I'd never just leave. I have really strong feelings for you and they'll never just disappear. How I feel about you, how I've felt since the beginning when we first met is something I've never felt before and I just _know_ that I'll always care about you. That's never gonna change."

The way Thomas was looking at him was indescribable. There was so much emotion in those dark eyes that it took Newt's breath away. "You are the best boyfriend anyone could have ever hoped for and I'm honestly such a lucky bastard to have the honor of winning you over", he whispered. His hand cupped the side of Newt's neck, his thumb gently brushing against the skin under Newt's ear.

"You betcha", Newt teased, though he knew that his words couldn't hind the emotion in his voice. 

When Thomas fitted their mouths together it didn't come as a surprise. And when their foreheads rested together after they'd pulled apart, their mutual smitten smiles reflected the words Newt was thinking but not ready to voice just yet. There was no doubt in his mind that Thomas was thinking the same thing, though it surprised him that he wasn't just blurting them out in his usual Thomas-like fashion.

Eventually Newt pressed one last kiss against Thomas's lower lip before pulling away completely. "Now go watch your _Gravity Falls_ and let me finish the chapter your brain so rudely interrupted."

 

* * *

 

 

They only left the room once more for dinner before resuming their positions on the bed where they watched the fifth _Harry Potter_ movie that was playing on TV, followed by some shitty horror movie and another shitty thriller.

During the frequent commercial breaks, they brushed their teeth but didn't bother changing into their pajamas.

Newt felt content lying there propped up against the pillows with his head pillowed on Thomas's shoulder. "That was the laziest day I've ever had since that one Saturday after finals where you wouldn't let me leave the bed for twenty for hours because you wanted to marathon Teen Wolf until you got caught up."

"It was worth it. Evil Stiles was one of the best things that has ever happened to humanity", Thomas replied.

"He was quite hot, yes."

"Hey!"

"What? I can appreciate the hotness of other men."

Thomas looked at him with an exaggerated pout.

"Stop it with the face! I didn't say he was hotter than you", Newt remarked.

"You didn't deny it either."

"I'm just saying that on a scale of one to ten, he is smoking."

Thomas whacked him over the head when Newt chuckled.

"What would you say if I were talking like that about another guy?"

Newt thought about it. "As long as I'm the one you curl up with at night, I don't really care."

"That was like the most adorable answer, I did not expect that."

"I have my moments."

Thomas tipped up his chin to press a kiss against Newt's forehead. "Now how about we go to sleep?"

"I'm okay with that." 

The day came to an end with Newt drawing patterns into the soft fabric covering Thomas's side, feeling warm and cozy and loved.

 


	8. Day 8

**Day 8**

The next day started with a finger booping his nose repeatedly.

"Stop", Newt grumbled, swatting the hand away, his nose twitching. He buried his face deeper into Thomas's chest, rubbing his cheek against the soft fabric of Thomas's hoodie before stilling again in hopes of falling back to sleep.

His desired peace lasted for about two minutes before a hand sneaked its way up his back underneath his clothes, the gentle brush of fingers tickling Newt's side, making him squirm and wiggle. He couldn't suppress his quiet laughter as he rolled over Thomas to get on his other side, away from the hand. Thomas was chuckling breathlessly right into Newt's ear, his warm breath tickling Newt's skin, successfully sending shivers down Newt's spine.

A few moments of peace followed before Newt could feel fingers against his bare back.

"Don't you dare", Newt warned, but his threat fell flat thanks to his quiet voice caused by the lingering fatigue in his muscles.

Thomas only hummed in return, his hand sliding further up Newt's back. The slight drag of fingernails up and down Newt's spine sent him melting against Thomas's side. If he could, Newt would be purring. With his eyes closed and his mind free of all thought, Newt's entire focused belonged to the sensations Thomas was sending across his nerve endings.

"It's time to get up", Thomas whispered.

Newt made a disagreeing noise.

"We already slept in till noon yesterday."

Newt grunted again.

Thomas snickered. "I love that you're enjoying this so much but I'm a big fan of sugary stuff and there's cinnamon sugar and pancakes downstairs."

Newt's stomach made a noise of longing.

"I think your body's trying to tell you something."

"Don't bloody care. 'm so comfy right now."

Thomas flattened his hand against Newt's back and pressed a kiss into blonde curls. "C'm on, time to get up!"

"Nooo", Newt whined.

"I can almost smell the pancakes, Newtie. I _crave_ the pancakes and I'm pretty sure so does your stomach."

Newt sighed unhappily but forced himself to roll off Thomas and give him the space to get up. Newt could feel the mattress shift under him as Thomas sat up. Hands brushed through Newt's hair before Thomas got up.

Newt squinted an eye open, watching his boyfriend navigate across the room while he himself stayed under the covers, shuffling over into the warm spot left behind.

"You know, while I'm happy about your more affectionate side peeking through, I never intended to turn you into myself", Thomas said. "When did you become so lazy?"

"Yesterday", Newt answered.

"If you don't get up now, I'll make sure to eat all of the pancakes", Thomas threatened. "And not leave a _single_ crumb."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Thomas cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Bloody hell", Newt grumbled but forced himself to drag his feet across the mattress and onto the floor before slowly sitting up. He allowed himself a moment to stretch out his back as he yawned and scratched the back of his head. He was swaying on his feet as he stood up.

Thomas chuckled and stepped up to his boyfriend. "It's like watching the morning routine of a cartoon character."

Newt swayed forward, leaning heavily against Thomas as his forehead dropped onto Thomas's shoulder. "I'm still so tired."

Thomas wrapped his arms around Newt and pressed an affectionate kiss into his hair. "You're so adorable when you're sleepy."

"I don't feel adorable at all, I feel like bloody death."

"You just need some sugar", Thomas replied, loosening his hold. His hand gently slid down Newt's forearm until he could entangle their fingers.

Newt dutifully patted along as Thomas tugged him out the door, but he found himself looking over his shoulder longingly, craving the comfort of the bed. When the door fell shut, Newt let out a resigned sigh.

Downstairs, Thomas's relatives watched them with what appeared to be fond looks. Newt smiled at them and gave them an awkward wave which was returned by half the group.

The kitchen was vacant when they got in so Thomas took it upon himself to make them hot chocolate. He left Newt by the counter, leaning his forehead against the hanging kitchen cabinets. Despite the physical exercise of descending stairs and the discomfort of human interaction, Newt still didn't feel even remotely awake.

A few moments passed before Thomas appeared back at his side, cacao powder, sugar and two mugs with spoons in hand.

Newt watched for a few seconds before he made a decision and stepped up behind his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and putting his hands in Thomas's hoodie pockets. He hummed lightly as his eyes dipped back shut. It felt warm and soft buried there in Thomas's neck, warmth pooling between their skin.

"You're really warm", Newt mumbled.

He could feel Thomas's laughter against him as it vibrated against his chest. "You're so touchy-feely today, what's up with that?"

Newt shrugged lightly, feeling no shame as he tightened his hold just a smidgen. "Dunno. Just feel like it. I think it's the dark sky. Makes me all tired."

"Whatever it is, I love it." Thomas turned his head to press a soft kiss against Newt's cheek. "You'll need to move though, I need to boil the water."

Newt let out a deep sigh but took a step back, albeit reluctantly. Hopping onto the kitchen bar counters, he watched Thomas fix up their drinks.

Leaving the ingredients out for the next person, Thomas stepped up between Newt's legs, mug in each hand.

"Thanks, Tommy", Newt mumbled, accepting his drink. He felt the warmth seep through the sleeves that half-covered his hands as he cradled the steaming mug and breathed in the sweet scent.

Thomas smiled into his drink as he blew into his drink before taking a sip. "I've never seen you so sleepy before", he remarked. "Usually you become so alert so quickly."

"I've never felt like this before either", Newt answered, hooking his legs around Thomas's hips, earning him a smirk from his boyfriend. "I think it's the lack of anxiety that usually comes with stress-caused fatigue. Either way, I think the sugar is helping."

"Hmm, maybe I should take the cup from you then", Thomas teased. "I love seeing you like this. All sleep-warm and cuddly and adorable." 

"Well, you're the one that dragged me out of bed, it's your own bloody fault. We could be cuddling right now."

"Yeeaah. I really am an idiot, aren't I?"

"I've been telling you this for two years and _now_ you're listenin'?"

Thomas lightly smacked Newt's side. "Shut up."

Just then Jody walked in.

Newt quickly unwrapped his legs from around Thomas, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks.

"Hey boys!" Jody grinned. "I wasn't sure I'd be seeing you before lunch." 

"Yesterday was a one-time thing", Thomas replied, sticking his tongue out at his mother like a little kid. "Now how about some pancakes?"

"Make them yourself."

"But _mooom_ , it's the holidays and I had to promise Newt pancakes to get him out of bed."

Newt blushed at the comment. "Don't listen to him, you don't need to make me anything, Jody."

"Don't listen to _him_ , he _craves_ pancakes."

Newt kicked against Thomas's thigh. "Shut up, Tommy."

Jody laughed. "Go on, you two, watch some TV. I was planning on making some for Chuck and myself anyway."

Thomas drew his eyebrows together. "Why did you argue with me then?"

"Because I was hoping I wouldn't have to do it."

Thomas pursed his lips, squinting his eyes at his mother. "I see you, Jody", he said lowly. "I see the game that you're playing." He slowly back out of the kitchen, eyes never leaving his mother who only raised an eyebrow at him in return.

Newt shook his head with a deep sigh. He hopped off the counter and followed his weirdass boyfriend into the living room.

They found Chuck sitting at the kitchen table, paper and pencils thrown everywhere. It seemed like artistic inspiration had hit the boy overnight. 

"Whatcha drawing there, buddy?" Thomas asked, joining Chuck.

"Just this weird dream I had."

"What the bloody hell are _those_?" Newt questioned, pointing over Chuck's shoulder at the image of a robot-type slug-creature.

"I'm not sure but they were trying to kill me in my dream."

"Sounds like a wild ride", Thomas replied.

Chuck nodded. "It was. I was trapped in this like ... maze and you guys were there and so were some other boys and I just remember that I felt the urge to get out and these creatures tried to keep us from it."

"You should write a book", Newt said. "Sounds like it could become a best-seller if you do it right."

"They could turn it into a movie", Thomas added. "Who do you think would play me?" He looked at Newt.

Newt shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe the guy who plays Stiles", he teased, thinking of their conversation from last night.

"Funny", Thomas replied.

Newt smirked before looking back at Chuck. "Mind if I join you?" He didn't wait for an answer as he sat down.

"Go ahead", Chuck replied, sliding over a few sheets of paper.

Newt pushed up on his elbows to overlook the cluttered table until he found a simple pencil. Twirling it between his fingers, he dug through his mind for an idea. "Come on, Tommy, give me some inspiration."

Thomas pushed back his chair and stepped around Chuck so he could sit on Newt's other side instead, grabbing a piece of paper for himself along the way. "How about we draw each other?"

"You guys are so cheesy", Chuck commented, not even looking up from his work.

"You're dreaming about us so you don't get to say anything", Thomas replied.

"You were both getting attacked by giant murderous beasts so it wasn't exactly a nice dream."

Thomas waved it off. "Technicalities don't matter."

Newt quirked a smile but didn't comment.

It was easy to decide to sketch Thomas out in profile, given their seating arrangement. From there on, he began by mapping out the forehead, nose-bridge and mouth before going back up to draw his eye and brow, only stopping to take a break when Jody arrived with their breakfast. Once down with the general outline, he continued by darkening the dips in Thomas's face and smudging the lines with his fingers to create shadows before using an eraser to add highlights. It wasn't his best work but it wasn't bad either. By the time he was adding the final touches to his boyfriend's eyelashes and moles, Thomas was still drawing, but the chair beside him was vacated since Chuck had left them in favor of the TV about an hour ago.

As art majors, Thomas and him were more than used to endless hours of silent drawing and painting.

"You done over there, Picasso?" Newt asked.

Thomas threw him a quick glance before ducking his head back down to add some more details. Once he set down his pencil, they exchanged their drawings without a word.

Thomas's drawing was beautiful as usual. He'd always been someone to put a lot of focus on the eyes, adding the tiniest of highlights and perfecting eyelashes to the point where it was necessary to pull out a magnifying glass to fully appreciate the attention to detail. Newt had always been in art of Thomas's skill but seeing himself represented by Thomas's artwork was a whole new deck of cards.

"It's really beautiful", Newt said quietly. "A lot more beautiful than I actually am. I'll never be able to capture eyes this way." He glanced up at Thomas. "You're amazing."

Thomas blushed at the compliment, ducking his head. "But you're perfect at everything. I mean look at this! It's like a photograph! Except that my nose looks a lot weirder than this."

Newt chuckled and switched back their drawings. "No, look! It's exactly like yours! I spent a lot of time on that nose so don't you criticize it!"

"And I spent a lot of time on those eyes and they're exactly like yours!" Thomas threw back. He glanced from his own drawing back up at Newt. "I think we just don't see ourselves like we see each other."

"Yeah, maybe", Newt replied with a soft smile. He leaned in to press a soft kiss against his boyfriend's lips. "Now, let's pack up, shower and brush our teeth before we help your parents with lunch." He allowed himself one more peck before he pulled away.

 

* * *

 

As usual they all gathered in the living room after lunch, this time to play hangman.

Ingeborg had already set up an easel Newt had never seen before - how did she even transport all of this stuff? - together with a big sketch pad. The entire thing was actually pretty uneventful, with only a bunch of people shouting all at once and the solution being words Newt only new about one fifth of. Thomas had picked Saturn which had taken everybody embarrassingly long to guess and Newt picked mercenary which took them even longer. Apparently this family was only ever considering words buried deeply in dictionaries from the sixties.

From there, they all moved on to smaller groups. Newt and Thomas were again joined by Chuck who'd picked a bunch of card games.

After about an hour, Thomas's head ended in Newt's lap while Chuck sat by, making disgusted faces at them.

"You have to draw two cards, Chuck", Newt said before grabbing a cookie from the plate next to them.

"I'm sorry but you two are distracting", Chuck replied grumpily.

"You're just jealous of how adorable we are", Thomas commented as he reached for a cookie. Given his current position, he couldn't quite grab one so Newt helped him out. Thomas bit off a mouthful without complaining.

"That's definitely not the reason." Chuck averted his eyes and threw down a card.

It was Thomas's turn to draw. "I'm pretty sure it is, don't lie to me." He added to the pile.

Newt took the card and sorted it in with his others. "You'll never achieve this level of cuteness. Must be frustrating." 

"Now you're teaming up on me! I don't think I can deal with this any longer." Chuck drew a card and added another to the stack.

Thomas picked it up. With a triumphant smile, he sat up and began laying them all out in groups except one which he threw in the middle. "I won."

"I hate rummy", Chuck muttered, flinging down his cards before getting up. "And you two? You are disgusting. I'm leaving. I'd rather play bingo with Ingeborg than look at your faces for a second longer."

Newt and Thomas chuckled as they watched him walk away.

"I'm proud of us", Thomas said.

"In a really weird way, yeah, me too."

They gathered the cards and packed them away before announcing their departure.

Up in their room, they fell onto the bed.

"It's so dark outside all the time", Newt complained. "I hate this bloody weather." He way lying on his stomach to stare out the window.

"They say that sun-deprivation makes you depressed and tired", Thomas said.

"Hmm." Newt rolled onto his back. "I think I'm gonna read."

"But what will _I_ do?"

"Dunno. That's your problem, not mine." Newt crawled over his boyfriend to get to his nightstand.

"You can't just go into your own little world and leave me here!"

"You got me the books so it's your own fault."

"Yeah, well things didn't go as planned."

Newt turned to look at Thomas with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you might want to read when you need some alone time because of all the people and the touching. I didn't know we'd get this close. But now we are so you can't just abandon me for _that_!"

Newt sat up on his knees, warmth pooling in his chest. "That's really sweet of you, Tommy. But-" He presented his book. "Cain just got there with cars full of other _Coates Academy_ kids and I want to see Sam and Cain interact."

Thomas furrowed his brow. "I've got no idea what you're talking about but it's definitely not what I want to hear." For a moment, he gave Newt a calculating look that had Newt feel slightly uneasy. For good reason, as it turned out, because only a second later, he was tackled against the mattress. "Give me the book!"

"What? No!" Newt stretched out his arm, holding the book as far out of Thomas's reach as possible.

"Gimme!" Thomas repeated, grabbing hold of Newt's wrist in an attempt to pull in his arm.

"Just let me finish Chapter Fourteen!" Newt pleaded, trying to squirm out from underneath Thomas's weight.

"No! I won't be ignored because of ink on a dead tree!" Thomas wiggled on top of Newt, trying to get closer to the book but Newt was persistent and refused to give up this easily. So was Thomas. It only took him a few more seconds of pushing and pulling until his fingers were brushing against the smooth black cover.

"No!" Newt managed to free his second arm from where it had been squished between them, using it to push against Thomas's side and shift some of his weight off himself.

"Give me the book!" Thomas called out.

"No, Tommy, give up already!"

"Never!"

Newt kicked out his legs, trying to fully free himself. And while it worked, it also caused him to fall ungracefully off the bed with a deep thump and an undignified shriek. His feet were still on the mattress for a few seconds before sliding off as well and landing with two soft thuds. Still, he'd achieved his goal. Book cradled to his chest, he let out a relieved sigh when he felt no bents or tears in the pages and cover.

A messy mop of dark brown hair appeared over the edge of the mattress, followed by the concerned face of a certain individual. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. And so's my book, you doof", Newt answered, pretending to be mad when he actually wasn't.

"I'm sorry", Thomas replied, ducking his head slightly until only his hair and big eyes were visible.

Newt pushed up onto his elbows and cocked his head. "I could already be through with the chapter if you'd just let me bloody read."

"I prefer this over watching you read."

Newt sighed. "You've already had my undivided attention for _a week_."

"Yeah, exactly! I've gotten used to it and now you want to just take it away from me." Thomas folded his arms at the bed's edge, pillowing his chin on them. The entire bottom half of his face disappeared behind his sleeves.

Newt sat, putting his book back on the nightstand in defeat. He watched his boyfriend for a moment before shuffling over so his legs were crossed under the bed while he was positioned right in front of Thomas. With his arms on either side of his boyfriend, Newt began tugging and pulling at the dips and folds in the fabric of Thomas's hoodie. "You have it now. So what're ya gonna do with it?"

Thomas reached out with his right hand, burying the fingers in Newt's hair. His smile was partly hidden behind his sleeve. "I'm not sure."

Newt couldn't help but return the smile. He searched for the right words to say but came up empty so he let his actions speak. Leaning in, he pressed the softest of kisses to Thomas's forehead, and when he leaned back, he saw Thomas's eyes flutter back open.

"What was that for?" Thomas asked, his smile a little dazed.

"Because I can", Newt answered simply, he brushed a finger across Thomas's cheek. "And because you're really adorable."

"Aww..." Thomas reached to lightly tug at Newt's sleeve. "Come up. Somebody needs cuddles."

Newt laughed softly but complied. 

"Did I ever tell you how much I love to see you in my clothes?" Thomas asked, his head on Newt's shoulder and his fingers tracing invisible patterns over Newt's ribs.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love to wear your hoodies?"

"Nope." Thomas grinned up at him.

Newt lifted his head, eyes drifting from brown eyes to soft lips and back up. "Well, now you know."

Thomas hummed in reply, pushing up to tangle his fingers in the curls at the back of Newt's head. Newt smiled as their lips pressed together. It was a slow kiss, soft and gentle. Warmth pooled in Newt's stomach as his heartbeat picked up. He raised a hand to Thomas's cheek, brushing his thumb over the soft skin before breaking the kiss for a second to allow them both to catch their breath. With their foreheads pressed together and noses brushing, they were close enough for their lips to brush. Newt's eyes were closed, making the feeling even more prominent.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love kissing you?" Thomas whispered, lips brushing against Newt's with every word.

"Nope." Newt pressed forward again, tongue barely brushing against Thomas's. After only a few seconds, he was forced to break contact, the ache in his neck to distracting to ignore. With one last peck, he let his head drop back against the mattress. He let his fingers card through dark curls as Thomas settled back down on Newt's chest. For a while, they were both lost in their own thoughts until Thomas suddenly jolted against his side.

"Holy shit! Tomorrow's New Year's Eve!"

The sudden exclamation made Newt jump. "What? Seriously?"

"Yeah!" Thomas sat. "Oh my god, I totally forgot about that!"

"How does your family celebrate?"

"Chinese take-out and chocolate fondue."

Newt grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"There's also TV and sparklers", Thomas added.

"Nice."

They were quiet for a while. Thomas was the one to break it.

"The year's almost over, I can't quite believe it. Look at everything that's happened!"

"And now think about everything that's still gonna happen. Our future lies ahead of us: graduating, getting jobs, a flat, a female cat named Steve."

They chuckled at that.

" _Our_ future", Thomas repeated. "I like the sound of that."

Newt smiled down at him. "Yeah, me too." He shook his head a little before pressing a kiss into Thomas's hair. "Now let's do something before our lives turn into a cheesy rom-com!"

Thomas frowned, looking up at him. "You should come with a warning label. 'Careful! Comes with daily romance limit!'" He stretched out his palm as if tracing the words in the air.

"Wouldn't change anything, you'd still waste them all in one go." 

"Yeah, probably true."

"No 'probably', honey, just 'true'." Newt watched as Thomas crawled over to the nightstand to pick up the remote. Switching on the TV, he clicked through the channels until he eventually settled on _The Fairly Oddparents_. 

"Why do you only use pet-names when you're being sarcastically mean?" 

"Because I hate pet-names", Newt replied, sitting up against the pillows.

"Why?"

"'Cause they're stupid. Honey, sweety or - god beware - _baby_." Newt shuddered. "I'm not a baby, you're not a baby - it's creepy and makes me feel like a pedophile. Just _no_. No pet-names."

Thomas was quiet. Too quiet. When Newt looked over at him, he could see a grin on his face.

"This was not meant as a challenge, you bloody idiot!" Newt knew that he sounded exasperated.

"But I'm gonna take it as one, sweetheart", Thomas replied, snuggling into the pillows by Newt's side.

"Forget everything I've sad over the last two days. I still hate you."

"Oh no, you don't", Thomas whispered lowly, leaning in to press a lingering kiss to the corner of Newt's mouth.

"I wish I did", Newt said grumpily after Thomas pulled back with a wide smirk.

"I'm glad you don't, cupcake. Or this would be quite the unhealthy relationship."

" _Just_ \- just don't speak, alright?"

"Why not, munchkin?"

Newt groaned in frustration.

 

* * *

 

They left the room for dinner and watched some movie with shaky-cam about a bunch of kids who found a little alien-robot. They sat in their armchair, Newt in Thomas's lap. As the movie came to an end, Thomas made no move to get up so they stayed for the one that followed as well. Before Newt could even figure out what it was about, he was already asleep.

There were fingers carding through his hair and a soft voice speaking to him, the words to far away to make out. Newt tried to ignore it by burying his face deeper in the softness of the fabric his head was pillowed on. A finger rubbed over his cheek. More soft-spoken words. Newt crinkled his nose and tried to pull away by pressing even deeper into his pillow.

Arms tightened around him. The world tilted. He was too tired to care.

 

* * *

 

 

He woke up when the comforting warmth around him disappeared, leaving him cold and alone. 

"T'mmy?" he slurred.

"Yeah, Newt, I'm here."

A door clicked shut before Thomas's weight caused the mattress to dip next to him.

"How'd I get here. We were watching a movie, right?"

"Yup. You fell asleep and I just let you until the movie was over. I tried to wake you, I really did, but you wouldn't have it so I carried you."

Newt felt mortification wash over him. "Your whole family saw me being treated like a baby." He groaned and grabbed a pillow, pressing it tightly against his head. Death was the only way out of this situation.

"They all thought it was really cute", Thomas reassured him, his voice muffled by the time it reached Newt's ear.

Newt just groaned again, increasing the pressure on the pillow. He was ready, the ground could swallow him now. Satan's pit was nothing against this.

He could feel Thomas trying to pry Newt's hands away but it was useless, Newt was too strong. The tugging stopped after a while but Newt could feel the need for oxygen grow so he let his hands drop and - as expected - Thomas snatched the pillow from him as soon as he let go.

"You done? Can we brush our teeth now?" Thomas asked.

"Go ahead. I'll stay here and wait for my dignity to come back."

"You're such a drama queen sometimes."

"Says the guy who needed a day to get over the loss of a cat he only knew for ten minutes."

"Don't talk about Tabby like that!" Thomas smacked the back of Newt's head before pushing him onto his back.

Newt let himself be moved and looked up at his boyfriend who was wearing an expression usually reserved for Newt. 'You're a total idiot', it said.

"Don't gimme that bloody look", Newt said grumpily, rolling onto his back.

"Then stop acting like an idiot!" Thomas grabbed his hand, pulling him up. "Let's get ready for bed."

Newt followed him into the bathroom where they brushed their teeth before returned to the bedroom to grab their pajamas. When Newt exited the bathroom, Thomas was already changed an lying in bed, covers tugged up to his nose. Newt chuckled as he climbed in next to him, allowing Thomas to snuggle up against his boyfriend and tug the covers tightly around them.

"It's fucking freezing in here", Thomas said, rubbing his foot up and down Newt's shins.

"I noticed."

"At least I have you. You're still sleep-warm from your little nap."

Newt jabbed his finger into Thomas's side. "I was just starting to forget about that, you asshole."

"Now _that's_ a pet-name _I_ don't agree with, for once."

Newt groaned. "I can't believe I'm dating you."

"Yeah, me neither. I was totally expecting to pine after you till I die of old age."

Now _that_ had Newt looking up in record-time. "What did you just say?"

" _I said_ 'I was totally expecting to pine after you till I die of old age'", Thomas repeated.

"Pining? Since when were you pining?"

Thomas shrugged. "Since about the second day we got here." He paused for a few seconds. "Though I think I've been crushing on you since that first day you offered to help me move in."

Newt's eyes widened at that. "You bloody _idiot_! Don't ask somebody you're crushing on to be your pretend-boyfriend! Are you masochistic?"

"It was only a school-boy crush back then! You know, because you're so cute and handsome and amazing - nothing serious. I didn't really have any feelings for you until I got to really _be_ with you all the time and have you this physically close. Then those kisses happened and now _that's_ where it all started going downhill."

"That's why you were so freaked out after the kiss", Newt said.

"Yeah, I felt like I'd just used you. I mean, I had feelings for my best friend and then I took his first kiss. I just felt like the biggest asshole in the universe."

Newt thought back to the last couple of days. " _That's_ why you sounded so off after my kissing-comment in the car." He groaned. "Oh my god, I totally stomped onto your heart with that one." He rubbed lightly up and down Thomas's back. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay. It all worked out in the end, didn't it?" Thomas didn't sound upset, far from it. He rolled onto his back, pulling Newt along with him.

"Yeah", Newt said with a soft smile. He pecked Thomas on the lips, running his fingers through dark curls. "No more pining." He rested their foreheads together with closed eyes, playing with Thomas's hair for a while before pressing another gentle kiss onto his boyfriends soft lips. "Now, let's go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll get to kiss at the New Year's Eve countdown like in all the cheesy movies."

"I can't wait", Thomas said with a chuckle.

Newt rested his head on Thomas's chest, falling asleep within a matter of minutes.


	9. Day 9: New Year's Eve

**Day 9: New Year's Eve**

Newt woke up first the following day.

When he blinked his eyes open, the room was filled with soft sunlight. He felt a lot better than the day before as he lifted his head off Thomas's chest. His boyfriend was still sleeping, his face soft and relaxed. It looked like he was having a nice dream. Still, Newt wanted payback for the previous day.

He shuffled up until he was face to face with Thomas and started pressing soft kisses along his jaw, slowly progressing up his cheek. When he pulled back, Thomas's only reaction was a small smile. He was still asleep. His head rolled to the side as he sniffled a little. The corner of Newt's mouth tugged up. It wasn't enough to get him to stop.

He reached up to run his finger through Thomas's hair, occasionally giving a light tug to the strands.

"Rise and shine, Tommy", he whispered. 

Thomas made an unhappy noise. 

Newt snickered but didn't budge. Leaning back down, he pressed several more kisses along Thomas's cheekbone until he reached the corner of his mouth. "C'me on, Tommy. Time to get up."

Thomas squinted one eye open. When he saw Newt, he frowned and blinked himself awake. "Mornin'." He raised a hand and rubbed over his face. 

"That's all I get for waking you up nicely?"

"You could've let me sleep. That would've been even nicer", Thomas replied. His voice was raspy with sleep.

"You never let _me_ sleep."

"But you're a better person than me?" Thomas made it sound like a question.

"Am I, though? Am I _really_?" 

"You could've been if you'd let me sleep."

Newt faked thoughtfulness for a few seconds. "Naaah, not worth it." He smirked and dropped his forehead against Thomas's. 

Thomas sighed which earned him a quick kiss before Newt tried to get up. 'Tried' being the keyword since Thomas was quick to wrap his arms around his boyfriend and hold him down.

Newt groaned. "Come on, Tommy. Let me go."

Thomas shook his head. "Nope."

"Is this what it's gonna be like every bloody day from now on?"

"Probably."

"I'm not sure I'm up for that."

"Sucks for you."

Newt rolled his eyes and dug his knees into the mattress. Since a tired Thomas was a weak Thomas, he pulled out of the hold with ease and rolled onto his feet before Thomas could as much as make a grab for him. On his way to the bathroom, Newt threw a glance over his shoulder and found Thomas pulling the covers over his head.

Newt paused in his step. "Are you serious?"

No answer.

He sighed and walked back to the foot of the bed. Pursing his lips, he weighed his options. "If you don't get up now, you're gonna regret it, trust me."

Still no answer.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya."

Newt grabbed the bottom of the covers and yanked them out of Thomas's hold. With one swift move, Thomas's entire body was bared to the cooler air. He curled into himself with a whine. Newt tossed the covers aside without a care.

"Told ya."

Thomas curled around a pillow.

"Are you bloody-" Newt narrowed his eyes and climbed back on the bed. He knelt down at Thomas's side and pushed. 

"No no nonono-" Thomas was cut off when he toppled over the edge. At the last second, he grabbed onto Newt's wrist. 

Unlike Thomas, Newt stayed on the mattress. He heard the deep thump. Some of the furniture shook. The lampshade rattled. Thomas groaned but still clung to Newt's arm.

Newt poked his head over the side and grinned down at him. "If you'd listened..."

"You're _evil_."

"Hmm ... well, you still love me so that's okay."

Thomas mumbled something inaudibly.

Newt didn't bother to ask about it. He pulled out of Thomas's hold, got back to his feet and offered a hand to his grumbling boyfriend.

Thomas narrowed his eyes at him but, after a second, took it and pulled himself up.

 

* * *

 

 

 After breakfast, they went upstairs to shower and change. Back in their hoodies and with teeth brushed, Newt took his cellphone from the dresser and settled on the bed.

"I need to call my parents", he said when Thomas walked in.

"Cool. Tell them hi."

Newt nodded absentmindedly as he scrolled through his contacts. When he heard Thomas head for the door, he looked back up. "No, wait! Get back here. Now sit down."

Thomas frowned but complied. "Why? What's up?"

"I want to tell them about us." Newt put the phone on speaker. The dial tone filled the room.

"What? No! Why? Why didn't you prepare me for this!" 

"Just act natural. They love you already anyway."

Newt had barely finished speaking when his father's voice crackled through the speakers.

"Newt?"

"Hey, dad! Could you get mom? I wanna tell you guys something."

"Sure, son. Give me a moment."

Footsteps. Followed by a loud conversation.

"I hate you for this", Thomas whispered.

"Calm down, Tommy. Everything's gonna be fine." Newt kept his voice soft and reassuring. When Thomas's worried frown didn't fade, he leaned in for a short but sweet kiss. "Relax", he whispered, their lips brushing.

He felt Thomas shiver.

"Hello, sweetie!" Newt's mother.

Newt straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Hey, mom!"

"You wanted to tell us something?"

"Yeah! Just, say hi to Tommy first!"

"Hey", Thomas said. He sounded embarrassed.

"Oh, hello, Thomas!" Newt's mother called out. "When are you finally coming to visit us?"

"I- I don't know yet, ma'am."

"Don't give that 'ma'am' nonsense. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sherry?"

"Sorry, ma'- Sherry."

"Not that I'm not happy to hear from you, Thomas", Newt's father interrupted. "But what news are you speaking of, Newt?"

"Oh, yeah, right." Newt paused. He glanced up at Thomas who was kneading his palm nervously. Newt looked down at the screen. "Me and Tommy, we're together now." 

Silence.

Newt frowned. He knew his parents weren't upset so why weren't they saying anything? "Mom? Dad?"

"What?" Sherry said finally. She sounded confused.

"Thomas and I", Newt repeated. "We're dating. A couple. An item."

"Yes, son, we got that part." His father said. "But why are you telling us? We know you've been dating for ages."

Newt gaped as he looked up at Thomas whose lips parted as his eyes widened. They both looked back down at the cellphone to give it an incredulous look.

"What?" Newt eventually got out.

"Yes", his mother said. "Just a few weeks after you moved in together..."

"You thought we were dating _back then_?"

"Your mother and I, we just assumed ... with the way  you talked about him..."

"Huh", Newt made. He looked back up at his boyfriend.

Thomas still seemed stunned. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "So you don't mind? Me dating your son, it's not a problem?"

"Of course not!" Sherry sounded offended. "Newtie's told us all about you. We know you're good for him. And we know, he can be a little stubborn and grumpy at times, but deep down he's a real sweetheart, so _don't you hurt him_!"

"I'd never!" Thomas said quickly.

"Good", Newt's mother said happily. "Because as an ex special forces officer, I know how to track you down and take you down faster than you can say 'sorry'."

"Mom!" Newt called out, horrified.

"I just want him to think twice before he considers anything."

"Well, don't threaten my boyfriend!"

"It's okay, Newt", Thomas stepped in. "I'm not worried. I'd never hurt you."

Newt sighed.

"And you, son, you better treat Thomas right, too, is that clear?" Newt's father spoke up. "Don't be too hard on him. Not everyone can dig through fifty layers of walls to see your intentions. No pushing him away, alright?"

"I promise, dad."

"Great! We're happy for you two!" And Sherry meant it, Newt could hear that. "And now that you're an actual couple, you better come for a visit soon!"

"We will", Thomas responded. "Don't worry, Sherry."

"You're always welcome, so no excuses about only red-eye flights being available, alright? Goodbye, boys!"

"Bye mom, bye dad!"

"Goodbye!" Thomas called out right before Newt hung up.

For a few moments, they both stared down at the cellphone.

Newt wasn't even sure what to say. "That went ... even better than expected."

Thomas was clearly still stunned. "I only met them once, when you picked them up at the airport. How could they get couple-vibes from that?"

Newt shook his head. "No idea." He got up and put his cellphone back on the chest of drawers. "Anyway, let's go back downstairs." He started heading for the door but was stopped by arms enveloping him. He laughed as he was pulled back against Thomas's chest. "What are you doing, Tommy?"

"Did you hear what your mom said?"

"The part with the death-threat?"

"Nope", Thomas answered. "The part about you being a big softie on the inside." He pressed a kiss against Newt's neck.

"No, nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

Thomas scoffed. "Liar." He kissed Newt's shoulder before turning him around in his arms. Newt went willingly. "You've been hiding this side of you the entire time, haven't you?"

Newt shrugged and cheekily dodged Thomas's gaze. "I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on, Newt."

Newt met his eyes. "Okay, fine. I was an affectionate kid, okay? That changed when I got older. But my parents never really came to terms with that."

"Aw, I bet you were adorable."

Newt rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, can I see pictures?"

Newt pulled out of Thomas's hold and headed for the door.

"Hey, wait! I need pictures!"

Newt escaped into the hallway.

 

* * *

 

 

Downstairs, Thomas's parents were putting on their coats.

"Hey guys, where are you going?" Thomas asked a few steps behind Newt.

"Back to the city", Jody replied. "We need some stuff for tonight.You want to come with?"

Thomas threw a quick glance at Newt who came him a small shrug. "Sure", they said in unison. They looked from Thomas's parents back at each other and cringed.

"Let's never do that again", Newt said.

"Yeah", Thomas agreed. He faced his parents again. "We'll just grab our jackets."

They rushed back upstairs and grabbed their coats, wallets and cellphones. Back down at the front door, they put on their shoes before joining Thomas's parents on the porch.

"You driving with us or taking your car?" Thomas's father asked.

"Uh, we can tag along with you if that's okay?" Thomas glanced at Newt who shrugged.

"Fine by me."

"That's settled then", Jody said.

 

* * *

 

"My name's Mark, by the way." 

Newt met the eyes of Thomas's father in the sideview mirror. "Okay, sir. Mine's Newt."

Mark chuckled. "I know that but thank you."

"So, boys, how are you enjoying the vacation so far?" Jody asked.

"It's been fun, right, Newt?" 

Newt rolled his eyes at Thomas's attempt at a flirty wink. "Yeah, it's been really nice. Thanks for having me."

"We should be thanking you", Mark responded. "I've never seen Tom this happy during one of our reunions."

"Because they're boring and unnecessary!" Thomas shot back.

Jody ignored her son's input and looked at Newt in the rearview mirror. "I'm serious, thank you. For making my son the happiest he's ever been. I'm glad you two finally sorted things out."

Newt drew his brows together. "What- What do you mean?"

A smirk tugged at her lips. "Do you really think I didn't notice how uncomfortable you were in the beginning? I knew you both pretending the moment you walked into that living room and only found one empty seat. In your defense though, you did fool everyone but me. I guess a mother just always knows."

" _You knew?_ " Thomas called out. " _And you_ _didn't tell me?_ But you said you thought we were dating!"

Jody's smirk softened into a smile even as she was looking at the road. "I did. Until I saw you two together. You were still dancing around each other. You obviously both had feelings but I think you just didn't really know about it yet. I didn't want to say anything because I wanted you to figure it out by yourselves. And you did!" She chuckled. "Don't look at me like that, you two. I didn't tell anyone! All of them think you were a couple all along." She threw another glance in the mirror. "I'm glad you figured it out. You seem a lot happier and relaxed." Her eyes flickered to look at Newt. "Especially you. That stunt you pulled on the first day? Really something else."

The heat rose in Newt's cheek as Thomas burst out laughing.

"That nose dive was beautiful", Thomas teased. "Rolled right off my lap."

Newt punched his boyfriend's shoulder. "Shut up! It was your fault."

Thomas rubbed his arm with a pout. "You should be thanking me for dragging you here."

Newt rolled his eyes. 

"Your relationship is quite strange", Mark said, turning around in his seat.

Jody threw him a quick glance. "You should've seen them yesterday. They were inseparable. In their own little world, just cuddling and-"

"Mom, stop!" Thomas interrupted from the back seat.

"But it was so adorable! I wish I'd had a camera!"

" _Mom!_ "

"Okay, okay." She leaned closer to her husband. "I'll tell you later."

Thomas groaned in frustration.

Newt let his forehead thump against the window.

 

* * *

 

They parked in the same parking garage as last time and stuck together on their way to the mall.

"We'll need couverture for the fondue", Jody said as they stepped through the sliding doors. Right by the entrance was a small grocery store and she was heading right for it.

"Dark chocolate!" Thomas added.

"Yes, Tom, we know. We raised you, remember?"

Thomas threw her a quick glare and intertwined his fingers with Newt's. He fell back a little as they entered the store and leaned into Newt's side. "You're so quiet. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, sure. It's just ... a little stranger with your parents. I feel a little like an intruder, you know?"

Thomas frowned. "You're part of the family now."

Newt wrinkled his nose. "Like your brother? That's incest, dude."

Thomas rolled his eyes. "No, idiot. Like their ... son in law."

"We're not married, Thom-"

Thomas sighed. "Forget it." He pressed a short kiss to the corner of Newt's mouth. "Come on, the candy section's right over there and I want smurfs!"

"Smurfs?" Newt barely got the word out before he was dragged along.

 

* * *

 

Thomas got two bags of the stick candy. They left the store with two full bags and made their way to the next for a load of sparklers.

Newt marveled at all the useless junk filling the shelves. Thomas, though, he was a more hands-on kinda guy. He dragged Newt from one thing to the next, picking everything up and looking a it from all angles before putting it back. More than once, Newt was left to adjust it back to its old position. He'd worked in retail before, he knew the horrors of Thomas-type-customers.

"Look at that piggy bank! It's so cute! We should get it! We could up coins until we've got enough for a new DVD or something!" Thomas was bouncing on his toes.

"You really wanna spend your money on a porcelain pig?" Newt asked.

"Yes."

"You sure? What if it gets damaged on the drive back?"

Thomas stopped bouncing. "Yeah, true." He looked disappointed for about a second. Then he spotted a notepad with cartoon fishes on the cover. "Woah! Look at that!"

Newt let his boyfriend do his thing. He trailed after him, patient and alert. He offered his input and talked Thomas out of wasting his money but never pushed him to leave. He wasn't about to dampen Thomas's excitement, not when he was so adorable to look at.

Neither did Thomas's parents. Whenever Newt checked on them, they were following at a save distance with happy smiles.

 

* * *

 

It was already getting dark outside when they left.

Jody and Mark each carried two bags filled with stuff for tonight. While Thomas and Newt were armed with far less, Newt was still questioning how he'd even ended up buying anything. How had Thomas talked him into getting that stuffed frog? He had no use for a stuffed frog! Unnecessary purchases aside, Newt was happy. They dropped their bags in the trunk and got into the car.

On their way back, they made a pit stop at a Chinese restaurant for a stack of take-out Thomas's parents had ordered back at the mall. The food smelled like heaven. Its scent filled the car in seconds and sent Newt's stomach rumbling. He moaned and dropped his head on Thomas's shoulder.

"'m hungry", Newt mumbled. "We didn't have lunch."

"I know. I feel like my stomach is shrinking", Thomas said. He pulled a pack of smurfs out his pocket. "Want one? I know it's not as good as real food but it makes it more bearable."

Newt's hand immediately shot out. "Gimme! One with a red hat!"

Thomas dug one out and dropped it in Newt's palm. "Enjoy."

Newt shoved it in his mouth. He didn't even care how it stuck to his teeth and gums. "God, I'm so glad you insisted on getting these."

"You're welcome."

The warmth in the car. The darkness outside. The closeness of his boyfriend. It was so warm and comfortable. Newt felt content in that moment. He realized it was all thanks to the giant dork next to him but didn't know how to voice it or even show it. He sat up straighter, watching Thomas - his messy hair and sparkling eyes as he dug through a bunch of blue candy. How in the hell did him and Newt even make sense together? How could they click so well when they were so different? What was the universe even thinking? 

Thomas held out the bag with a smile. "Want another one?"

"I love you."

Thomas froze. His eyes widened. For a second, everything stopped.

Newt gulped.

Thomas blinked and the widest, goofiest smile spread over his face. "I love you, too."

Newt nodded, grabbed a smurf and stuffed it into his mouth. "Glad that we settled that." He looked out the window. In the reflection, he could see Thomas roll his eyes with a fond smile. When he leaned in to press a kiss against the sensitive skin behind Newt's ear, Newt couldn't bite back the smile.

 

* * *

 

They'd made their way through half a bag of candy by the time they reached the house.

Bags in hand, they toed off their shoes at the front door before heading into the dining room. A few people got up to get plates and cutlery while the rest helped unpack.

Thomas and Newt excused themselves to go upstairs with their own purchases. Newt dropped his back by the bed and shrugged off his jacket. Just as he'd dropped it on the foot of the mattress, a solid weight barreled into him.

He was tackled onto the mattress but managed to turn as he fell. With Thomas on his chest, Newt could barely catch his breath. 

"You okay?" Newt asked. His nose twitched as dark curls tickled his skin.

Thomas propped himself up on an elbow. There was a smile on his face, different from the ones Newt could recall seeing before. "More than okay", Thomas said. "You wanna know why?"

"Tell me."

"Because you love me."

"You knew that already."

"But you've never told me before."

Warmth pooled around Newt's heart. He'd put that joyful expression on Thomas's face. "If it makes you this happy, I'll make sure to tell you more often." He put a hand on Thomas's neck, playing with the shorter hairs.

"I'd like that."

Newt hummed and pulled Thomas down into a kiss.

 

 

* * *

 

They showed up for dinner a little later than the rest. It earned them a few smiles and looks but Newt managed to avert most eye contact.

They ate with chopsticks which Newt was good at, unlike Thomas who kept dropping his noodles.

"I thought you eat Chinese every year?"

"Doesn't mean I get better at it", Thomas responded. He broke the intense stare-down with his noodles and raised them above his mouth. By sticking out his tongue, he managed to catch a few as they fell.

Newt stifled his laughter by pressing his lips together. As Thomas chewed, Newt reached to grab his hand and re-positioned the chopsticks. "You've gotta hold them like this and only move this one ... not like that, you bloody doof! Yes, like this. Now try again." He let go of Thomas's hand and watched him picking up more food. "Good. See? It's already a lot better." A second later he gaped. "How did you even-?"

 

* * *

 

Gathered in the living room with the rest of the clan, Newt felt comfortable. He was dozing off, Thomas on his lap as his full stomach was kept warm by his boyfriend's hoodie and said boyfriend himself.

On screen, Lemony Snicket, aka Jim Carrey, was doing his best to murder three orphaned children for their fortune.

"There'll never be another actor like Jim Carrey", Thomas said.

"Probably a good thing", Newt commented. "The world couldn't handle more than one."

"True." Thomas paused. "Did you know he loves to paint?"

They switched from channel to channel, always trying to find something that wasn't a review of the entire year. Beside sitcoms and comedies, there wasn't much.

At 11pm, they got up to prepare the fondue. Boiling water and watching chocolate melt wasn't the most entertaining thing but Thomas sure kept Newt busy by constantly trying to dip his fingers into the bowls. After a successful attempt, Jody caught her son and sent them both off to chop fruit.

When the food was served, everyone returned to the table.

Halfway through their shared plate, Thomas nearly managed to take out Newt's eyeball with his metal skewer. A few seconds later, his fruit slid toward his fingers as he tried to put it in his mouth. He ended up with a tear on the inside of his cheek. There was a bit of blood. He refused to eat kiwi after that, claiming it burned. Despite his whining, he still made a mess of the table and his face. 

"How did you get chocolate in your _eyebrow_?" Newt asked incredulously.

"Raw talent."

"Only half an hour left!" Ingeborg announced. 

They cleared the table and left the dishes on the kitchen counters for tomorrow.

Back in the living room, everyone waited for the countdown to start. Newt was sitting on the armrest, carding his fingers through Thomas's hair as the minutes ticked by. Thomas was drawing patterns on Newt's free palm.

When the countdown began, everyone stood up. Newt and Thomas moved progressively closer to each other with each passing number.

"Five!"

Arms around waists.

"Four!"

Temples pressing together.

"Three!"

Fingers pressing in.

"Two!"

Smiles spread over faces.

"ONE!"

They turned to kiss as cheers erupted around them.

A few seconds passed where their lips moved together, just a sweet soft drag that left them breathless.

"Happy New Year", Newt breathed as they pulled apart.

"Happy New Year", Thomas responded. He leaned in for another peck.

The moment was shattered when Mark came in to wrap his son up in a hug. Newt jumped when Jody came to embrace his waist. He turned to hug back but stiffened at the contact. It was too warm, to close. His personal space didn't like it. It was still too confusing.

After a moment, Jody pulled back to press a kiss to his cheek. "Happy New Year, Newt!"

"Happy New Year, Jody!" he replied. He smiled even as his cheek tingled uncomfortably.

Jody shot him another grin.

Newt barely got to adjust to the returned feeling of freedom when he was pulled into a back-breaking hug by Ingeborg.

"Oooh, pretty boy!" she squealed. "You beautiful blondie! Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, Ingeborg!" Newt wheezed. Oxygen. He needed oxygen.

She only let go when Newt was already starting to feel light-headed. It was Thomas that saved him. He'd tapped Ingeborg's shoulder and wished her a Happy New Year which earned him a hug.

After she'd let go, Newt stepped up to Thomas and waited for his suffering to pass. As soon as Ingeborg let go, he wrapped an arm around Thomas's waist. Maybe if they held on tight enough, the others couldn't get to them.

They made a round through the room passing by everyone before they left to put on their coats and shoes.

Outside, Jody and Mark passed out sparklers to everyone. Thomas got his last, together with a lighter. Newt lit his first and passed the flame on to Thomas and Chuck. By the time the last person was reached, Newt's had nearly burned down. 

Fireworks erupted in the distance as Newt lit his second sparkler. The horizon exploded with colors against the backdrop of the night sky. Thomas used the opportunity to step up behind Newt and wrap an arm around his waist. He held a new sparkler and drew a heart into the air. Newt chuckled and lit his own to add a cheesy 'N + T'. Thomas buried his smile in Newt's neck.

They ignored everyone as they kept drawing and burning through sparklers.

 

* * *

 

It was after 2pm when they fell into bed.

Newt's mouth tasted like toothpaste and the cold still set in his bones as Thomas curled into his side. They teased each other by rubbing their cold feet up pant legs. When they eventually settled down, they were both laying on their sides and smiling like idiots. Newt reached out to play with the hairs in Thomas's nape.

"I love you", Newt said simply.

Thomas reached up to wrap a hand around Newt's wrist, brushing his thumb over Newt's pulse point. "To another great year together."

"Better than the last one", Newt said.

"I love you", Thomas whispered.

 

 


	10. Day 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gone for a couple of days thanks to school followed by being sick but here's the new chapter - enjoy!

**Day 10**

Newt woke up in the middle of the night. It took him a moment to realize why. It was Thomas, he was shaking, his legs jerking as sweat bead on his forehead. He'd even rolled off Newt during the night.

Newt frowned. "Tommy." He put a hand on Thomas's shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

It didn't work. Newt pressed his lips together and sat up. Thomas looked distressed, the neckline of his shirt was soaked with sweat. Newt squeezed his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

"Come on, Tommy. You're having a nightmare. It's just a nightmare." He patted Thomas's cheek. "Tommy!"

Thomas's eyes squeezed tighter. His muscles tensed. Newt knelt next to his form and pulled the covers off him. It still wasn't working. Jaw clenched, he smacked Thomas's cheek.

His eyes flew open.

Newt recoiled, putting some distance between them.

Thomas blinked repeatedly. His head turned to scan the room with jerky motions. When his gaze settled on Newt, his eyes flickered across his boyfriend's face for several seconds. Something about Newt seemed to calm him because he sagged against the mattress and sighed in relief. His breathing deepened, the tension left him.

"You okay?" Newt asked quietly.

"Yeah. Just ... a nightmare." Thomas's voice was hoarse.

"What happened?"

Thomas rubbed over his eyes. "It's already getting fuzzy but ... there was a lot of ... blood and I was running. Trying to stop ... something but I just didn't get any closer. You know, just ... normal nightmare-stuff."

Newt crossed his legs and reached to run his hand through Thomas's hair. "Well, I'm fine. And so are you. Think you can go back to sleep?"

"Not yet. I think I'll go downstairs, get something to drink. You can just stay here and get back to sleep if you want." Thomas offered him a small tired smile. "And thank you, for waking me."

Newt's hand slid from Thomas's curls to his cheek. His thumb traced over Thomas's cheekbone. Light stubble rubbed against Newt's palm. "Nothing to thank me for. Now come on. I'll make us some tea."

Newt climbed over his boyfriend and off the bed before he turned to grab Thomas's hand and pull him up.

Thomas didn't argue and didn't let go of Newt's hand. His thumb rubbed circles into Newt's skin.

They tip-toed downstairs and into the kitchen. Newt forewent the ceiling light and only used the small strip on the bottom of the wall cabinets. He went to boil the water while Thomas noisily took out the mugs. Without words, Newt offered Thomas several tea options and let him pick. While they waited for the water to boil, Newt reached for Thomas's hand again to draw his attention.

"You sure you don't wanna talk about your dream?" 

Thomas took a deep breath. His gaze dropped down to their hands.

Newt remained silent and didn't push.

After a moment, Thomas sighed. "It was you."

Newt frowned but didn't say anything. His eyes dropped to where Thomas had started playing with their fingers.

"You got run over. I don't if it was a car or a train or something else. I just know I saw the headlights speeding toward you and I- I was right there but I just couldn't ... do anything. I tried to run and my legs moved but I didn't get any closer." Thomas wet his lips. "I didn't get to you in time. You got hit. I heard the bones crack. And there was blood ... flying everywhere, spraying into my face even though I was so far away and ... I don't know, I just kept running. I got to you eventually but there wasn't much ... to see. There was just this huge puddle of blood and entrails and tire-tracks spreading it ... out. So much gore. I- I dropped to my knees and picked up your torn clothes. They were soaked with blood and I- I wasn't even crying. I couldn't. And I couldn't wake up either. I was just staring and I couldn't believe it. I wanted to scream and cry but you were- you were gone and there, there was nothing I could do."

Behind Newt, the water boiler flipped its switch. He ignored it in favor of tugging Thomas into a tight embrace. "It's okay, Tommy. 'm fine. It was all in your head. Your brain was just trying to digest the memories from a coupla days ago."

Thomas sagged against him and buried his face in Newt's neck. "I know", he mumbled. "It doesn't make it any better, though."

Newt pressed a kiss to his shoulder. He refrained from saying anything. His palms smoothed up and down Thomas's back. The seconds ticked by. Thomas seemed to soak up the comfort. When he eventually pulled away, his hands cupped Newt's cheeks and his eyes studied Newt's face. When Newt's eyebrows jumped up questioningly, Thomas's lips tugged up in a smile.

"I love you."

Newt smiled back. "I love you, too."

 

"I think we'll have to boil that water again."

 

 

* * *

 

They settled on the couch with their mugs. In the background, the TV was playing on low volume. Newt had draped a blanket over their legs before Thomas had snuggled into his side and hooked one of his legs over Newt's.

"Night-TV sucks so badly", Thomas complained into his tea.

"I know. Bloody porn-commercials aren't making it any better."

It was 6am. Some dumb horror movie was playing where everyone was being excessively stupid.

Newt could feel his eyes droop. The warmth of the tea and Thomas's body was lulling him under.

Thomas sighed. "I wonder when they'll realize that taking a shower in a haunted house at 2am is never a good idea."

"Or that running upstairs is not the way to go when a killer is chasing you", Newt added.

Thomas leaned forward to set his empty mug on the coffee table.

Newt noticed and quickly downed the rest of his own tea to hand it off to Thomas who rolled his eyes and stretched to let the mug join his own.

Curled back into Newt, Thomas wrapped an arm around Newt's waist. "Aaand he's going into the basement", he mumbled against Newt's shoulder. "What an idiot."

"Hm, door falling shut on it's own. Quite suspect. Oh no, yeah, of course, just shrug your shoulders and keep going. As if shit like that happens every day. He's not even checking if it's locked or not - what the bloody hell?" Newt paused. "Oh, now the flashlight's flickering. Oh, come on, man! That's not normal!" 

"Now he's dead ... Ah, see? The door _is_ locked. Oh, shower girl's dead."

Newt shook his head. His hand slid down to the bare skin above Thomas's waistband. He let his fingers trace across the smooth skin, eliciting shudders from his boyfriend.

 

* * *

 

They must've fallen asleep.

When Newt woke up, it to loud noises. He frowned and squinted an eye open. The room was drenched in light but he was only staring at the pattern of the living room couch. His head was resting on Thomas's chest and a blanket covered him from chin to toe. His feet were trapped between Thomas's. There was clattering coming from the direction of the kitchen. And the sound of hushed conversation.

Newt lifted his head and looked up at Thomas, still fast asleep. Newt felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. He wiggled his right arm free from the blanket. It caused Thomas to tighten his hold around Newt's waist. Newt rolled his eyes and patted Thomas lightly on the cheek. "Hey, Tommy. Wake up. Please. Before your relatives start taking pictures."

Thomas crinkled his nose and turned his head. His forehead was now pressed against the backrest.

Newt chuckled but kept patting Thomas's cheek. It wasn't working. He traced his fingertip across Thomas's stubble to his ear where he tugged at the lobe a few times. "Come on, wake up." When he pulled back his hand, his fingers brushed against Thomas's neck. The accidental touch sent Thomas squirming. It nearly knocked Newt off the couch but he managed to be quick enough to wrap an arm around Thomas's middle to stay put.

"Newt? Wha' time is it?"

Newt shrugged. "Dunno, but people are starting to wake up and I'm sure they spotted us already."

Thomas squinted at their surroundings. "We're in the living room."

"You're a bloody genius."

"Ouch. That tone hurt, cupcake."

Newt groaned and rolled his eyes. Pet-names. Really not his thing. "Come on. Let's get some breakfast."

The walk to the kitchen felt like the walk of shame. Eyes followed them combined with knowing smiles and winks. Newt clenched his jaw as heat spread across his face. Thomas and him hadn't even done anything. It's not like they'd been caught  making out. What was wrong with these people?

Mark and Jody were already seated at the kitchen table when they got there.

"Morning boys", Jody said cheerily. Her smile was disturbingly wide.

"How are your backs after a night on the couch?" Mark asked.

Thomas shrugged. "Not much different than usual. The sofa's really comfy."

Newt turned to stare at the toaster, just so he wouldn't have to face these people anymore. He buried his face in his hands. "I can't believe they all saw us", he muttered. He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "We should've gone back upstairs, Tommy."

"Aw, come on, Newt", Jody said. "It was cute. They're all just happy you're both happy."

"Ingeborg took a picture", Mark added.

Newt thumped his head against the wall cupboard. "Oh my god. I can never face these people again."

Thomas chuckled. "They think we're cute, honey. There's nothing to be embarrassed about!" He put his hands on Newt's waist and turned him around. "I mean, we _are_ pretty fucking adorable if I dare say so myself. Teeth-rottingly sweet even. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. We should be hella fucking proud! Other couples wish they could achieve this level of cuteness."

Newt shot him an incredulous look. "It's times like these that make me wonder why I love you."

"It's my incredible charm and good looks."

"Nah, I don't think that's it." Newt pursed his lips in thought. "Maybe it's because I feel smarter in your presence."

Thomas smacked the side of Newt's head. Yet his smile didn't falter. "Shut up or you might say something you regret."

"Oh yeah? And what would be the consequences? Would you break up with me?"

"Never. But I'd come up with something genius."

"I somehow doubt that."

"It's not that I'm not intrigued by your conversation", Jody jumped in. "But the pancakes are getting cold."

"Pancakes?" They blurted out in unison. The cringing was quick to follow.

"We've _gotta_ stop doing that, Thomas."

"What are you calling me Thomas for? It's not my fault."

 

* * *

 

 

After breakfast, they went upstairs to shower and get ready for the day.

"I'm not prepared to listen to all the comments we're gonna get today", Newt said when Thomas came out the bathroom fully dressed.

Thomas looked at him sprawled out on the bed with his book. "You just can't take compliments, can you?"

"Not these sorta compliments, no."

"Why not? They just think we have a really healthy relationship."

"I just don't like the comments. The 'aww, you're so cute together' and prying for details - it bothers me."

Thomas dropped down beside him. Newt was lying on his stomach, giving Thomas the perfect opportunity to lay down beside him and drape an arm and leg across him. Their faces were level. "They mean well. Don't be so offended. They're just happy for us! They never thought somebody like me could get so lucky."

Newt frowned. "Somebody like you?"

Thomas averted his eyes and shrugged. "Loud. Obnoxious. Too energetic. Always blabbering about something no one cares about. Average-looking. Happy-go-lucky." He paused. "And then there's you: always careful with your choice of words. Witty. Gorgeous. Super smart and realistic. It just- it seems impossible for somebody like me to get somebody like you and, well, my relatives can see that."

Newt stared. He blinked. And stared some more. "Are..." He drifted off. "You ... you really think that?" Thomas's lips parted to answer but Newt didn't give him the chance to. He lightly smacked him over the head. "You bloody idiot!"

"Hey!"

"Why didn't you _talk_ to me about this before? I always thought your self-esteem was higher than Mount-fucking-Everest! You're beautiful, alright? You're gorgeous! I've told you this before but I'll gladly tell you again: you're _stunning_  - inside and out. You're hilarious! I know I never act like it but that's just me being me. And you're smart - probably smarter than me, and definitely smarter than ninety percent of the idiots in College. Whether you want to believe it or not. And all those idiot students? They were crushing on you left and right, you just didn't see it! I always thought you just didn't want to get their hopes up but you're telling me you didn't even know?"

Thomas's eyes widened. "They were crushing on me?"

Newt rolled his eyes. Of course that'd be the only thing he took from that. "Yes, Tommy. Boys and girls. Always flirting with you and looking at you like your dumb ass hung the stars and moon."

"They were _flirting_ with me?"

"Yes."

"Were you jealous?" Thomas asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I gave you this beautiful speech with all these heartfelt compliments and that's all you've got to say?"

"Yeah, sorry." Thomas's expression turned more serious. "Thank you, Newt. It means a lot to me, really. I didn't know you think that highly of me. I'm not sure I deserve it."

Newt rolled onto his back, even with Thomas's limbs still sprawled over him. "Don't say that. You're the best boyfriend I could've asked for. I mean, you might've been a little harsh in bashing through my personal bubble, but you've made yourself at home there. I don't think there's a single other person on this planet I would've allowed to do that."

"You're grateful I did that?" 

"Yeah ... I guess I am."

"I didn't think I'd live to see this day."

Newt rolled his eyes. One day they'd get stuck like this. He dreaded that time. "How did I come to love a big goofball? How did I let this happen? You know, I think I second-guess that way too often to be healthy."

"Don't worry about it. According to you it's because I'm hilarious and gorgeous."

"Don't make me regret saying that."

"I won't", Thomas said earnestly. "I'm really grateful. You could've had anybody but you chose me."

Newt frowned. "There is nobody else. Just you."

"Because I'm pushy?" Thomas joked.

"No", Newt said. "Because you make me feel comfortable. Nobody else can do that anymore. Not even my family."

Thomas's face softened. "That's ... the biggest compliment I've ever gotten. I don't even know what to say."

"Then don't say anything." Newt cupped the back of Thomas's head and pulled him in. 

Their kisses were soft, slow. Their was no hurry to deepen it or take it further than the drag of lips. When they broke apart, Newt's book lay forgotten next to them and Thomas was propped up over him. His forearms bracketed Newt's head. One of his hands was tangled in Newt's hair. Their foreheads were still pressed together as their breaths mingled.

"I'm really glad you dragged me here", Newt mumbled. His fingers trailed along Thomas's spine where Newt had tugged his t-shirt up.

"I'm really glad you're not immune to my begging."

"I'm glad you're so good at the puppy eyes."

"Hmm, it took a while to perfect them but you've always given me a lot of opportunities to practice."

Newt chuckled. "I've cursed my weakness a lota times, trust me."

"'m sorry. But it's good to know it's effective. For me at least." Thomas pressed their smiles together in another kiss. "I've never heard that many compliments from you."

"I think my heart's gotten softer since the nightmare."

"Hmm, don't remind me. It was fucking terrible."

"'m sorry."

"I'm just waiting for the pictures to disappear completely."

Newt nodded and tugged Thomas fully down against him. Thomas complied and curled against Newt's side, head on Newt's chest.

They lay in silence, hands wandering to trace patterns on skin and cotton until Chuck knocked and announced lunch.

 

* * *

 

Post-lunch-time brought them together in the living room to watch a movie.

They'd received a lot of cooing and compliments. Cameras and cellphones kept being handed to them, showing pictures of them lying on the couch as if Newt hadn't taken part in creating the captured moment. Thomas didn't seem to follow Newt's logic. He kept asking people to send the photos to him. Much to Newt's embarrassment.

They got a lot of questions about their relationship which led to Thomas dropping the occasional lie between truths. Newt's cheeks were squeezed to the point were it hurt. He tried to bear it with a smile and 'thank you's but in all honesty, he just wanted to go back to being with his boyfriend in peace. How could these people treat him, a legal adult, like a child while also asking him about his romantic relationship? How did that make sense? 

They ended up back on the armchair. Newt had Thomas in his lap and was resting his forehead on Thomas's shoulder. "God, I'm glad when this is over", Newt mumbled. The noise of the TV allowed him to talk without being overheard.

"Only four more days", Thomas responded.

"I miss my computer", Newt whined. "The internet left a deep dark hole in my heart."

"Tell me about it. There's a void in my chest where YouTube and that hellsite Tumblr used to be."

"A new season of _In the Flesh_ could've been announced."

"We missed the last meme of 2014 and probably the first of 2015. They announced _The Mortal Instruments_ books would be turned into a series. _The 100_ is still going. God, I miss our TV shows."

"I hated those books. They were awful."

"They had a good concept! After the movie failed so bad, I've got hopes."

"I could do without the incest and biphobia, thank you very much."

"Well, only four more days and we can sit down for weeks and get caught up on the stuff you _do_ care about."

"Mhhmm", Newt hummed into Thomas's ear. "Just us and our uncomfortably small dorm room beds."

 

* * *

 

After two movies, Ingeborg announced it was time to get out of the house again. She suggested another hike but Thomas got them out by announcing Newt and him wanted to be alone and walk by themselves this time.

They got changed into jeans, put on coats, scarves, beanies and shoes and followed Thomas's relatives out the door into the freezing cold. Where the others went in the direction of the hill again, the two of them went left. There was another path, wider and far less steep. It went between the hill and ice-skating lake and looked friendly where the other one looked deadly.

Thomas intertwined their hands. Their shoulders brushed with every step.

"I'm so glad we don't have to climb those hills again", Newt said, sparing Chuck's retreating back a sympathizing look.

"I think your leg got us out. It made them feel guilty."

"I should probably feel bad about that but I really don't."

"Good. I'd feel bad if you felt bad for them feeling bad about it."

"Just stop."

"'kay."

They walked in silence for a while. The fresh air was nice even if it bit ruthlessly at Newt's nose. The cold seeped into his bones as they watched the snow melt along the path.

"I can't believe I had a potential boyfriend in front of me all this time and didn't even realize it", Thomas mumbled.

Newt chuckled. "It's not my fault you can't see what's right in front of you."

Thomas bumped their shoulders together. "Shut up. It's totally your fault! With all your personal space issues and hatred for hugs, I could've never imagined dating you. We just didn't seem compatible."

"You looked at me, and couldn't see past my flaws." Newt shook his head. "Inconceivable."

"Don't _Princess Bride_ me! I didn't just see that, I also saw your adorable face and unique personality. But the no-touching-rule kept me from seeing you as boyfriend material."

"And your excessive affinity for breaking boundaries kept _me_ from the same thing! We're just both real bloody dumb."

"Looking back, we really were both dancing around each other the whole time."

"It's ridiculous."

"Remember the time I was on a sugar high?"

"Yeah, Teresa dumped you on me and you just kept rubbing your face on my hair."

Thomas nodded. "She thinks we've been dating secretly ever since then."

"But that was two months after we moved in."

"Yup."

"Huh." Newt was quiet for a few minutes. "Everybody saw it, except us."

"Minho thought we were dating, too", Thomas said after a while.

Newt shot him a look of disbelief. "Seriously? Why him?"

"Remember the _Lord of the Rings_ marathon we had at his place?"

"Yeah", Newt answered hesitantly.

"Well, apparently you fell asleep curled up next to me and I looked at you in, and I quote, 'disgusting admiration'."

Newt snickered. "Oh, man. I remember that. I was so bloody tired because of the paper I was working on. You dragged me away from it."

"You looked ready to collapse, I was worried!"

Newt smiled. "I never really though about how much you were looking out for me."

"If it weren't for me, you'd wreck yourself within a week. I can't have that." Thomas looked at him. "But you've always got my back too, right?"

"Of course."

"See? That's why we've always worked out. You keep me from making too big a fool of myself and/or dying, from embarrassment or other unrelated causes, and I keep you from dying of exhaustion."

"We're quite the team."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Newt took in the scenery and pointed out the occasional ice puddle so Thomas wouldn't fall and break his neck. Thomas was more preoccupied with shouting "bird!" every time he saw one.

Newt's thoughts kept coming back to college. It was weird how he'd always only seen the people hitting on Thomas while his closest friends had thought  _he_ was the one stealing Thomas's heart. Why had none of them ever told Newt?

"Does anybody else think we've been a couple this entire time?" Newt asked. 

Thomas snickered. "Except everyone we've ever met?"

"Come on! We didn't do _that_ many couple-y things!"

Thomas cocked an eyebrow. "You sure? Alby thought we were dating because of our lunch eating habits."

"What?"

"The thing we always do? Exchanging food?"

"It's practical! You don't like the pickles and I don't like the carrots - it just makes sense!"

"Well, apparently it's couple-y", Thomas replied. "Even Gally thought we were dating."

" _What?_ Why him?"

"It seems our pining when one of us was away was sickening. According to him, we should've gotten our heads out of our asses or he was gonna do it for us. Me pouting the week you were back in England tipped him over."

"You were pining? Aww ... that's cute, Tommy."

"Shut up!" Thomas pushed Newt lightly but didn't let him get far. With their entwined hands, he tugged him back in. "It was lonely and boring without you! Nobody gave sarcastic replies or insulted my bad sense of humor. I missed my grumpy counter-part."

Newt chuckled.

They kept talking back and forth about college for the rest of the walk. In a weird way, Newt missed it. Not the nauseating stress and constant bone-crushing fatigue, but seeing his friends every day and bonding with them over their mutual hatred for last-minute assignments and impossible workloads. 

When they got back to the house, everybody else was still out. Since they didn't have a key, they couldn't get inside so they settled for lounging on the porch steps. Thomas quickly got bored and set out to build another, smaller but equally ugly, snowman. They'd just started to put on the face when the others came back.

 

* * *

 

Back in dry clothes, they sat down for dinner.

After that, it was time for another round of charades and Newt and Thomas were as in-tune as ever.

"You're a PDS sufferer!" Newt called out.

"What the hell is that?" Chuck asked.

"Don't you know _In the Flesh_?"

Chuck frowned. "That show with the zombies."

"It's so much more than that!" Thomas replied.

"PDS stands for Partially Deceased Syndrome", Newt explained. "So a PDS sufferer is zombie on medication that got reintegrated into society."

"Whatever", Chuck said. "It's unfair when you pick stuff like that."

Thomas grinned. "It's not my fault you'd rather watch those awfully drawn cartoons on Nickelodeon."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just take your stupid point. I hope it makes you happy."

"Oh, it _does_."

Thomas and Newt won easily as always. Thomas still blamed it on their mind-link.

 

* * *

 

They ended up in bed a few hours later. The TV was playing some re-run of an action movie with unrealistic explosions. Newt had curled up against Thomas as soon as he'd shuffled under the covers beside him.

"I love how affectionate you've become", Thomas said. He put an arm around Newt and pulled him impossibly closer. "You're so cuddly now."

"I thought I've always been cuddly", Newt mocked.

"You know exactly what I mean, you doofus."

"You're the doofus, doofus."

Thomas chuckled. "Whatever. I'm just glad you've grown to like this side of me."

"You're still way ahead of me."

"I'm not gonna ask for more." Thomas slid his hand under the back of Newt's t-shirt. His nails started running lightly up and down Newt's spine.

"I love it when you do that", Newt mumbled, melting under the touch.

"I know, that's why I do it." The smile was evident in Thomas's voice.

"Hmhm."

Newt eventually started to drift off. He barely registered it when Thomas switched off the TV and tugged the blankets further up. 

"I hope you've better dreams t'night", Newt mumbled against Thomas's t-shirt.

"Me too. Sweet dreams, Newt. I love you."

"Love you, too."


	11. Day 11

**Day 11**

The following day started with cold wind blowing over Newt's exposed cheek. He shivered. Even with his head burrowed under the covers, the freezing air still ruffled his hair.

"The bloody hell is tha'?" he mumbled grumpily. He forced his eyes open and raised his head from the warmth and comfort of his cave.

Thomas was still asleep, the doors were closed and so was the window, so why was it so fucking cold?

"Please don't tell me the heating broke", Newt muttered. He started untangling himself from his boyfriend which unfortunately allowed more freezing air to seep into the cover-burrito they'd made for themselves.

Thomas made unhappy small noises as the cold touched him until he eventually woke up completely. "What're you doin'?" He sounded a little annoyed, even as he pulled Newt back against hismelf.

"Getting up so I can find out why we just woke up at the North Pole", Newt answered, though he didn't fight Thomas when he buried his face in his hair.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to leave this cave of body-warmth. You might not make it back and that's a risk I'm simply not willing to take."

Newt chuckled. "Come on, Tommy, it's already light out anyway. We might as well get up and dressed."

"Uuh ... nah, I don't like the sound of that. Let's stay in bed."

Newt rolled his eyes. "We can't keep waking up like this or it'll become a habit. We really don't need that once we're back at College."

"Then let's just make it a holiday-habit", Thomas replied.

"I don't think that's an actual thing."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not. Now come on, let me go." Newt wiggled partially out of Thomas's hold and tried to get an elbow under himself but Thomas's hold didn't falter around his waist.

"But you're so waaarm", Thomas whined. "And the room's so cold. Do you really want both of us to die of hypothermia? Could you die peacefully, knowing that your loving and caring boyfriend died a gruesome, slow death, just because you couldn't submit to a few more hours of cuddling?"

Newt dropped his head against the Thomas's collarbone and let out a puff of breath that madeThomas shiver. "You're such a bloody drama-queen."

"But I'm _your_ drama-queen. And you love me."

"That I do. But I'm still not so sure about the why." Newt looked up at Thomas and cocked his head. "So ... you know we'll have to get up eventually. There's bodily functions and all that and you're relatives will start to wonder where we're at and your nose is already starting to turn pink." Thomas crinkled his nose at the comment. When he started to wiggle it like a bunny, Newt smiled but refused to let it interrupt his rant. "And electric devices don't like the cold either so we might just lose our mobile phones in the process. Walls also take a really long time to warm up again and if the heating doesn't get fixed soon, it'll take hours until we'll get a nice temperature in here again. I bet we don't have hot water either so no showering this morning but you know what? There's a nice, pretty fireplace in the living-room downstairs and we could warm up in front of that."

Thomas seemed to think it over. "Will you put on the snowman-sweater?"

Newt groaned. "If it'll get you out of bed, then yes, I'll wear the bloody thing."

Thomas grinned and pecked the corner of Newt's mouth. "Alright then, let's get started. We have about twenty seconds to get dressed before we'll die!"

"I don't think it's that cold yet", Newt got out before Thomas ripped the covers off them.

"Holy shit!"

Newt had already sat up and was climbing off the bed. He ran on his tip-toes to his bag. The floor was freezing. It felt like walking on ice with bare feet.

Thomas let out small hisses with every step.

Both their teeth chattered as they scavenged for their thickest socks and sweatpants. Then came the undressing part. It was horrible. Newt was actually scared of losing some of his irreplaceable body parts. He felt like he would never be warm again. The unbelievably low temperatures of the fresh clothes themselves didn't help. Even with four layers protecting his torso, he still couldn't seem to get warm.

When he turned back around, Thomas was pulling a hoodie over his head.

With his arms wrapped around himself, Newt's teeth chattered as his entire body shook. "I h-h-hate th-th-this."

Thomas nodded in agreement and headed for the door without further comment. 

Downstairs, everybody was gathered in the living room around the fireplace. They were wrapped up in blankets and passing around hot beverages while they munched on leftover Christmas cookies.

"W-what happend t-to the heating?" Thomas asked as he took the blanket his mother was offering them.

"We're not sure yet", Ingeborg answered. "But we already called somebody to fix it. They'll show up within the next two hours."

Newt and Thomas huddled close to the fire with a blanket wrapped around them. Newt sat between Thomas's legs and held on tight to the arms wrapped around his middle. It was almost painful to feel the warmth slowly seep back into their muscles.

Newt titled his head to poke his ice cold nose against Thomas's cheek. He barely reacted. His eyes remained focused on the crackling fire as he played with the small scarf sewn onto Newt's jumper.

After a few minutes, two steaming cups of hot chocolate were handed to them. And half an hour later, the doorbell finally rang.

* * *

 

"They didn't tank heating fuel before we all moved in", Ingeborg announced. "They'll send somebody up here in a few hours but until then we're stuck in the cold."

Multiple groans filled the room.

"At least we won't have to pay for it ourselves", Mark said.

Ingeborg huddled back under her blanket and switched on the TV.

The windows were already starting to get frost patterns, and when they moved only a few feet away from the fire, their breaths made small clouds.

"This sucks", Thomas mumbled against Newt's ear. "I mean, I would've enjoyed this in the beginning since I would've had a valid reason to cuddle you but now it's just really unnecessary."

Newt didn't look away from the TV which played an episode of Friends. "It wouldn't be a true holiday without something going wrong."

Thomas pressed a few small kiss onto Newt's neck but didn't answer.

"I could fall asleep here", Newt said.

"And I wouldn't stop you."

"I know, that's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to give your relatives more ammo."

Thomas chuckled. "Then don't sleep."

"But it's so comfyyy."

Newt could hear the smile in his boyfriend's voice. "There's only these two options, cupcake. You either sleep or you don't."

Newt huffed in annoyance. At both the situation and the nickname. "I wish I had one of these collars that electrocute you so every time you call me a pet-name I can electroshock you."

"I'd say 'kinky' but I don't want burn marks around my neck."

"How much do you think they cost?"

"I don't know and I don't want to find out."

"I might just look it up when we get back to civilization", Newt mused.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"It would be really bloody useful."

"I'd rather have you reward me when I do something right, than zap me when I do something wrong", Thomas remarked. "You know, positive reinforcement."

"But that would take a lot longer."

"But it'd be less painful."

"For you."

"My boyfriend's a sadist", Thomas whispered with feigned panic coloring his voice.

"Oh, sweetheart, you should've thought about that before we started dating. There's no going back now. I won't let you go. You're mine now. _Forever_."

Thomas whimpered.

Newt laughed menacingly.

"What the hell are you two _doing_?" Chuck asked. He was sitting only a few feet away and looking at them with a weird expression on his face.

"Nothing", Newt answered.

Thomas remained silent.

* * *

* * *

After a few more hours of huddling under blankets and sharing body heat (and a few painfully freezing bathroom breaks), the doorbell rang and sent a flood of relief through everybody.

One of Thomas's uncles got up to open the door, which was followed by footsteps and indistinguishable voices that indicated the workers had shown up.

A few minutes later, Thomas's relative appeared again but was stopped by another shout. The delivery guy.

They'd ordered take out for lunch since nobody wanted to stay in the kitchen for longer than a few minutes.

They ate, still sat around the fireplace and continued to watch TV as they waited for the workers to be done with it.

It was already dark outside when the fuel had settled and allowed them to get back to feeling their toes.

"My back aches from the floor-sitting", Thomas complained.

"I think you're not the only one, Tommy", Newt replied as he climbed to his feet and stretched out his aching muscles.

People around them were all doing the same thing until a few chosen ones hogged the blankets and shuffled off to turn on every single furnace in the building.

Thomas insisted on keeping theirs as a cape so Newt just rolled his eyes and let him.

 After a few minutes of stretching and complaining, they joined Chuck at the table who'd set up some weird board game.

Game-pieces were thrown, curses were exclaimed and frustrated noises were made. All mostly on Thomas's part.

"This is so not fair, it's based on pure luck!"

"Most games are", Newt pointed out.

"You're not helping!"

Two more rounds passed in which Thomas fell even further behind.

"This is such bullshit!" Thomas shouted after he'd drawn another card that forced him to take steps back. He flung it into the empty game box but made his move anyway.

"You can still win", Newt replied.

Thomas growled and threw him a glare.

Two rounds further and even the slightest chance of him winning had disappeared.

"We can stop, you know", Newt said.

"No."

Two hours, three missing cards and four missing game pieces later, the score was settled. Chuck won, Newt came in second and Thomas lost.

"I hate this game", Thomas muttered and got up to shuffle over to the couch. He face-planted onto the cushions.

Newt helped Chuck clean up the mess before he headed over to his boyfriend and sat down on the arm-rest next to Thomas's head. He watched him for a few silent moments before he pulled down the blanket to reveal his face. A strong pout was unveiled.

Newt chuckled. "You're such a sore loser."

Thomas huffed and pulled the blanket back over his head. Only part of his disheveled hair continued to peek out.

Newt tugged lightly at the strands. "C'mon, Tommy. Let's help with dinner and then we can go up and shower. Make ourselves a nice evening in bed."

Unhappy, muffled noises emanated from the blanket.

"If you don't help, they'll put pickles in the salad again."

Newt could hear something like 'doesn't matter'.

"Come ooon, Tommy, stop pouting and get up."

"No", came the muffled reply.

"Please?"

The blanket moved a little - Newt took it as a 'no'.

"If you don't, there won't be any cuddles outside of sleeping anymore."

Thomas looked up until his eyes and nose poked out. "You wouldn't."

Newt raised an eyebrow. _You want to test that theory?_

Thomas looked thoughtful for all of two seconds before he sat up with an annoyed huff and made Newt grin in victory.

* * *

 

They walked into the kitchen; Thomas dragging his feet extra-slowly.

"Anything we can help with?" Newt asked into the room.

Jody was the only one that actually looked up to smile at them. "Sure. The salad's not done yet."

Newt smiled back. "I'm on it!" He took a free spot two feet away from everybody else and arranged the cutting board, knives, vegetables and bowl. When he finally got everything, he started to roll up his sleeves. Just when he started tugging at his right one, blanket-covered arms wrapped around his waist as solid warmth settled against his back.

Thomas's cheek pressed against his right ear. "No pickles in the salad."

Newt rolled his eyes. "I know, smarty-pants."

"Just making sure." Thomas tightened his arms and gave a content hum before Newt pulled away to start chopping the ingredients.

"You could make yourself useful, you know", Newt suggested. "Actually help with dinner somehow."

"I'm being totally useful here. Do you see anybody else who'd be willing to keep the salad-chef nice and warm?"

"I don't think 'salad-chef' is even a thing."

"Doesn't change my valid position on the team."

Newt rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Forty seconds of actual peace passed.

"You wouldn't have made it, by the way", Thomas said.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"The cuddling-threat. You wouldn't've gone through with it."

"Oh really?", Newt asked. He smelled a challenge.

"Yeah. You would've given in. Less than twenty-four hours in."

"You wanna bet, Tommy?"

Thomas tightened his arms. "Tomorrow."

Newt grinned in mischief. "Alright. Starting tomorrow when I wake up, no cuddling until we go to sleep. And then starting again when I wake up until you give in."

"Or you", Thomas added.

Newt snorted a laugh. "As if. You're the needy one. I survived over a decade without physical affection until last week."

"Meaning you're still deprived from the previous lack. I've always gotten my fair share. I can totally live without it for a few days, maybe even weeks."

"Nice theory you got there, honey. I'll be happy to proof you wrong."

"We'll see."

"I guess we will", Newt said. He knew he'd win this one.

* * *

Dinner was served and eaten, dishes were cleaned and then everybody excused themselves to their rooms instead of gathering in the living room like they usually would.

Newt showered first and left Thomas on the bed with his blanket cape. With his teeth brushed, hair combed and pajamas in place, he left the room and flopped down beside his boyfriend.

Thomas draped the blanket over him immediately. He offered him a smile and a peck before he disappeared into the bathroom with his own pajamas.

Newt settled for watching TV until he reappeared and dumped his old clothes somewhere near his duffel bag and crawled back under the covers.

"So you're really going through with the bet?" Thomas questioned, his head resting on his folded arm.

Newt turned to look at him. "Of course, why wouldn't I when I know I'll win?"

Thomas grinned at his cheeky smile. "I wouldn't be so certain if I were you."

"And why's that?"

"Because I did a really good job at making you more affectionate and it's not easy to drop a habit."

"I'm sure I'll live. But enough of that. Let's settle the rules."

"Alrighty. So: no cuddling."

"Of course."

"No kissing."

"Okay."

"No hand-holding or lap-sitting."

"Yup."

"No lingering touches in general."

"What about touching shoulders?"

Thomas thought about it for a second. "Shoulder brushing is okay because it can't be avoided sometimes but no more than that."

"Okay, same goes for knees."

"I think we got it covered now."

"Let's seal the deal", Newt mumbled and brought their lips together for a soft kiss.

Thomas let out a small surprised noise before he reciprocated. Newt smiled at the eagerness and tangled his hands in dark curls. He tugged lightly and leaned back into his pillow when Thomas pushed to roll on top of him. The kiss was thorough, with small nips and licks that left Newt breathless.

Thomas was first to pull back but let his forehead rest against Newt's. The tips of their noses brushed with every heave of their shoulders.

"That was unfair", Thomas breathed out.

"Just wanted to remind you what you'll be missing out on", Newt replied.

"You're evil", Thomas replied and dove forward into another kiss.

Newt didn't protest. He scratched lightly at Thomas's scalp and elicited a happy moan from Thomas. When they eventually came back up for air, Newt didn't stop the small scratches, tugs,and slide of his fingers. Thomas had practically melted against him.

"Soak up the physical contact, Tommy", Newt whispered. "You'll be deprived come tomorrow."

"Don't remind me", Thomas replied.

"You can still back out. I was just joking about the sealing the deal thing. Was just an excuse to kiss you."

"You don't need an excuse to kiss me."

"I know. Does that mean you're backing out?"

"Nope", Thomas answered and smoothed his hand down his boyfriend's stomach. Newt shivered. Thomas started drawing patterns against the fabric. "I'm gonna win this thing, out of principal, you know?"

"What does the winner get anyway?"

"Uh ... I dunno. The pleasure of seeing the other's defeat?"

"I can live with that", Newt agreed. 

* * *

 

Newt would never admit it but he dreaded the following day.

Thomas had been right, he _had_ gotten used to the touching. Enjoyed it. Loved it even. The closeness, the shared body heat, the soft and reassuring touches and kisses. It was comforting to have Thomas that close. But none of that meant he'd back out. He was competitive in nature, and he knew he'd have a much easier time with it. Thomas was a needy little thing and he'd be giving up in no time.

When Thomas switched off the TV, he rolled onto his back and pulled Newt along with him.

Newt didn't hesitate to tug his head under Thomas's chin and rub his cheek over Thomas's shirt until he'd gotten rid of all wrinkles and could rest comfortably. 

Thomas chuckled.

"What?"

"Your hair was tickling me", Thomas mumbled and pressed a kiss to the crown of Newt's head.

"Sorry." 

"No problem." Thomas's voice was low. He scratched lightly over Newt's back, which resulted in a shiver and Newt huddling even closer.

They were quiet for a while. Long enough for Newt to think Thomas had fallen asleep.

"From tomorrow on, we're opponents", Thomas said quietly.

Newt hummed in agreement.

"So I'd just like to remind you that I love you. A lot."

"I love you, too, you bloody idiot. And it's not like we'll be enemies." Newt turned and pressed a kiss over Thomas's heart.

"Things could get ugly."

Newt chuckled sleepily. "Relax, Tommy, we'll be fine. It'll be fun, you'll see. If it gets too bad, we can always call the bet off, nobody wins and we can kiss and make up."

"You'd never just give up!" Thomas protested.

"If our relationship depends on it, I would."

"Really?"

"'Course", Newt replied. "Now go to sleep."

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you, too."


	12. Day 12

**Day 12**

Newt woke up first the next morning, feeling warm and cozy, happy and loved until he remembered their bet. His eyes flew open and he untangled himself quickly from his boyfriend before Thomas could even as much as open his eyes.

"The battle has begun, Tommy!", Newt announced after he climbed off the bed. "From this moment on until we go to sleep, there won't be any form of touching!"

Thomas had frowned at him until realization dawned on him. With a groan, the brunet dropped his head back onto his pillow and put his right forearm over his eyes. Newt chuckled and picked out his clothes for the day before slipping into the bathroom. He undressed and put on black skinny jeans and Thomas's favorite hoodie over a t-shirt before combing his hair.

When he stepped back into the bedroom, Thomas was already dressed in blue jeans and an over-sized hoodie. When the brunet spotted him, his eyes widened. "You're already playing dirty!", he exclaimed.

Newt dropped his pajamas on his duffle bag and raised a questioning eyebrow at his boyfriend.

"You're wearing something of mine - that's not fair!", Thomas specified.

"You can wrestle me out of it but that would mean that you lose", the blond replied cheekily.

The brunet squinted his eyes. "You're a little shit."

Newt shrugged nonchalantly. "You're all sweater-paws and ruffled hair yourself so I guess we're quit."

Thomas grinned. "Are you indirectly calling me cute again?"

"I guess I am. Now let's get breakfast." The blond made a show of stepping around his boyfriend, being careful to not even get remotely close to the brunet's personal space, before leaving the room and walking downstairs where most of Thomas's relatives were already strewn across the room.

They entered the kitchen and started making themselves breakfast. Newt got out cups for both of them out of habit while Thomas gathered the ingredients.

"What's going on with you two?", Jody asked from her usual spot at the table.

"What do you mean?", Thomas asked.

"You're usually all over each other this early in the morning."

"We made a bet", Newt explained.

"A no-touching bet", the brunet specified.

"Why would you do that?", Jody questioned with a frown.

"I'm not really sure how it happened either", Newt said. "It just sort of did and now I want to win."

"So no touching or kissing or even hugging?", the brunette asked.

Thomas nodded. "Yup."

"You, my son, are going to lose this bet."

Newt laughed while Thomas pouted.

"I'm sorry, Tom, but my money's on Newt. You're such an addict when it comes to touching. I don't think you'll last long at all."

"That's what I said", the blond agreed.

"I'll show you - both of you!", Thomas announced.

Just then Mark showed up. "What's going on here?"

Jody explained everything to her husband while Newt prepared their drinks. It was difficult to be this careful about not touching his boyfriend when he would usually have the brunet wrapped around himself, all warm and comfortable. He stirred his drink while taking a few steps away so that Thomas could pick up his own cup. The brunet put away their ingredients while Newt left the kitchen and walked over to their arm chair where he sat down. He now realized that he had never set in this arm chair without having Thomas in between - it was a really nice arm chair with very soft cushions. It felt completely wrong.

Newt sighed and wrapped his hands around the warm mug, sipping the hot chocolate.

Thomas appeared a minute later, frowing at him before sitting down on the floor with his shoulder resting against the side of the chair.

"I'm hating this already", Thomas said before loudly slurping from his cup.

"Then give up", Newt replied.

"Never!"

"What's up with you?", Chuck asked as he spotted them.

"We made a bet", Thomas answered.

"We're not allowed to touch", Newt added.

"This sounds like the best thing I've heard since I got here", Chuck said with a grin and flopped down on the couch before setting out to search for the remote.

The blond couldn't believe it but he already felt the loss. He pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them before continuing to sip the hot beverage. There was silence until Chuck let out a victorious 'ha _ha_!' and switched on the TV. After that there was only Spongebob's annoying voice - at least it was one of the old episodes, not one of the disturbing and sadistic new ones.

Two episodes later, Newt's cup was empty so he got up to put it in the kitchen sink. When he returned Thomas was sitting on the armchair with a smirk, making Newt roll his eyes and sit down on the floor where the brunet had sat earlier. The carpet was warm under him from his boyfriend's body heat - it made him a little sad.

There was quietness for another Spongebob episode before Thomas put his mug on the floor in front of Newt and leaned over the arm rest to look down at him.

"Can you put it on the coffee table?", the brunet asked.

"You could get up and do it yourself", Newt replied.

"Please?" The puppy eyes ... of course.

The blond sighed but leaned back on one arm and reached out to put the cup on the table. Thomas had his arms folded on the arm rest and was looking down at him with everything below the nose hidden behind his sleeve.

"The arm chair's still warm", Thomas said quietly.

Newt just nodded, understanding what he meant.

"I miss it already", the brunet elaborated.

"Then give up", Newt replied, looking up at his boyfriend with big eyes.

Thomas shook his head lightly. "Nope."

The blond sighed and pulled his legs close to his chest, crossing his feet at the ankles and resting his folded arms on his knees. "This was a stupid bet."

"Yup", the brunet agreed. "But I still want to win."

"Yeah, me too", Newt replied grumpily.

"Could you two shut up - I actually want to watch this!", Chuck called out from his spot on the couch.

Thomas lifted his head to stick his tongue out at the younger boy before pulling back, out of Newt's sight. The blond rested his forehead on his folded arms and let out an internal groan.

***************************

They helped with lunch, seated at the kitchen table opposite each other - both careful to keep their feet to themselves.

"If you just weren't so bloody adorable", Newt said, forcefully cutting the skin off the carrots with his peeling knife.

"Careful or you'll lose a finger", Thomas replied.

The blond stopped the motion and threw his boyfriend a glare.

"Slow down with the death-glare - this was your idea. And I'm not having a good time either. Did you look in the mirror today? Seeing you in that hoodie is killing me."

"Then surrender!"

"No! Give up yourself!"

"No way!"

Thomas pouted and looked back down at his cutting board, continuing to chop the cucumber.

Newt looked back down at his own work and started to turn the vegetable into carrot sticks.

***************************

During lunch, they were sitting next to each other which proofed difficult because of their elbows. Thomas refused to scoot further away because of Ingeborg and Newt couldn't get closer to Chuck without actually sitting on the boy so they were forced to pay extra close attention to keeping their elbows and hands to themselves while each had to keep their own knees pressed together, while they would usually brush against each other all the time.

After lunch, it was time to leave the house according to Ingeborg.

"We're going ice-skating, _again_?", Thomas asked.

"Yes, because it will be one of the last days were temperatures are low enough to keep the lake frozen so get your skates", Jody told them.

Newt swallowed at the memory of the last time they had gone ice-skating. It had been the breaking point for him, the day on which he had finally accepted that he actually enjoyed the touchy-feeliness of Thomas. Now it was supposed to be the first day since they got here on which they wouldn't touch at all.

They both let their heads hang a little lower as they walked upstairs. Newt carefully kept his distance as they climbed the stairs. They didn't speak until the door fell shut behind them.

"I feel like crying", Thomas said in a child-like voice.

"Then give up!", Newt replied as he walked over to his duffel.

"No."

"Then stop whining and get dressed."

The brunet huffed a breath but started rummaging through his bag. There was no talking for a while until something soft hit the back of Newt's head. The blond turned around and saw a beanie lie on the floor near his feet. He smiled as he picked it up.

"Put it on", Thomas said before going back to digging through his clothes.

"I will", Newt replied softly. He picked up his coat and put it on before exchanging his socks for thick, woolen ones. He put the beanie on last before looking back at Thomas whose face was full of love and adoration.

"What?", Newt asked quietly.

The brunet shook his head lightly. "Nothing. Come on."

Newt gave a light nod and followed Thomas downstairs with a foot of space between them at all times. People filed outside the door, leaving the couple waiting on the stairs until the hallway was empty except for Thomas's parents who handed them a pair of skates each. The boys put on their normal shoes and followed the two adults outside.

They started walking toward the lake, Newt and Thomas at the very back, both careful to leave an acceptable distance between them.

"There's more space between us now than the last time we walked there", Thomas commented.

"Yeah - who'd've thought?", the blond replied.

"I think this truly is the dumbest bet I've ever made."

"Wow - that says a lot."

The brunet chuckled. "Shut up."

Newt could imagine that they'd usually bump shoulders now.

"If it weren't for the ice-skating, we might still be dancing around each other", the blond said after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah?", Thomas asked, throwing a questioning glance at his boyfriend.

Newt hummed. "If we hadn't come here, I would've never been forced to rely on your presence. I would probably still think only negatively of touching - it was kind of a turning point for me."

"Huh, that's kinda really good to know. That dumb lake got me a boyfriend!"

The blond laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Bloody ice-skating. I feel like a walking cliché right now."

Thomas grinned. "If we were a cliché, we'd be all over each other right now instead of two feet apart because of a bet."

"Probably true."

"If our friends could see us right now ..."

"They'd hit us over the head and lock us in a cupboard until we surrendered", Newt remarked.

"Yeeeah ... I can imagine it vividly."

They chatted normally for the next few minutes until they reached the lake that had already five more people skating over its surface. Newt and Thomas sat down on the same bench as the last time, one on each end, to put on their skates. They walked to the edge of the frozen water.

Newt took a deep breath before setting one foot down on the ice. He took another breath before quickly setting the other one down. He did his best to keep his knees from wobbling before looking up to see Thomas staring at him intendly.

"You okay there, Tommy?"

The brunet nodded while steadily holding his gaze. "Just making sure you won't fall."

Newt smiled at that. "Thanks, I'm good. No worries."

Thomas stepped onto the ice with ease and kept skating backwards so that he could keep his eyes on Newt at all times.

The blond rolled his eyes at that. "Chill, Tommy. I'm fine!"

"You tell me when your leg starts to bother you, alright? We'll stay here two hours tops!"

"I'm not a child, Tommy - I know my limits!"

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "So what was last time then? Me carrying you around for an entire day? That was you knowing your limits?"

Newt frowned. "That was you mother-henning - I knew what I was doing. I was okay with limping for a day but you insisted on babysitting me!"

The brunet slowed down as did Newt so that they were standing a foot apart near the edge of the lake.

"I just wanted to make sure that your leg would heal as fast as possible!", Thomas replied.

"I know, and I appreciate it. But you make it sound like I was careless and wrecked my leg because of it!"

"That's kind of what you did."

Newt felt anger well up inside him. "I know what I'm doing. I know when I need to stop, okay? Now please take care of your own buisness and get out of mine!"

A hurt look crossed Thomas's face but it quickly vanished. "We're still not staying longer than two hours."

The blond pressed his lips together. "I'm slowly getting pissed off at you bossing me around - could you stop that?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt again!"

"I know but I don't need babying - if one of us needs that than that would be you!"

"What's that supposed to mean?", Thomas asked, starting to sound angry himself.

Newt gave a humorless laugh. "Are you kidding me? You're like a giant five year old! If I weren't around, taking care of you all the time, you'd probably be lying in a bloody ditch somewhere!"

"Nobody's forcing you to take care of me, you know?", Thomas said quietly. "So you can stop it now."

"So that I have your whole family blaming me for not taking care of you? No thanks!" Newt could feel that he just crossed a line and he regretted it already.

"So you're only taking care of me because you feel like you need to?"

"That's not -"

"Okay, no, I get it. I wouldn't want to take care of me either. I mean, I am really annoying, right? That's what you've been telling me all along! I always thought you were joking but of course you weren't. I'm so stupid!" Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

"No, Tommy, that's not -"

"Just ... stop talking, please."

"But I didn't -"

"Newt! Shut up!"

"Would you just let me -", the blond started again, getting angry.

"Just shut up! I don't want to hear your voice right now!" With that Thomas turned around, skating away in a pace Newt could never catch up to.

The blond looked after Thomas for a second before sighing in defeat and rubbing at his temples. He felt like shit and all he wanted was to get back to how it was yesterday - they should have never agreed to that stupid bet.

***************************

Newt skated in a slow pace at the very edge of the lake for about two hours, Thomas always staying on the opposite side, making sure to stay away from the blond. When the two hours were up, the brunet came closer.

"We're leaving!", he said quietly, not seeming angry anymore but sad.

"Tommy, please, just -"

Thomas raised a hand. "Don't ... just don't." He avoided Newt's eyes and skated away again.

Newt felt like crying. He made his way slowly over to the spot were the bench with their shoes was positioned, giving Thomas the time to change out of his skates before Newt got there himself.

How could everything go to hell this quickly? They were fine! More than fine! And then one stupid comment and 'boom!' everything went to shit. Newt would have never thought that Thomas had such a low self-esteem that he would believe his own boyfriend thought like that of him. The blond had always been sure that Thomas knew when he was joking and when he was serious - hell, Newt had even told the brunet that he knew about how intelligent he was but that had apparently not been enough.

Newt sat down and untied his skates before slowly putting on his shoes and tying the laces. He could feel Thomas's eyes at the back of his head, knew that the brunet was waiting for him. Newt picked up the ice-skates and walked over to Thomas who was already turning around to walk back to the house. The blond gave a little wave to the others who were looking at them - he couldn't bring himself to fake a smile for them.

When they had walked a few feet he spoke up.

"I understand that you're angry -"

"I'm not angry", Thomas said evenly, lacking emotion.

Newt frowned to himself. "Yes, you are but you didn't even give me a chance to -"

"I don't want to hear it, okay?", the brunet said over his shoulder.

"You can't just ignore what we had for the last couple of days!", Newt called out.

"I'm not talking about this right now!"

"Don't shut me out just like that! People fight, it happens but they make up by _talking_!"

"You don't say?", Thomas asked with stone cold sarcasm. "How smart of you, Newt. Wow - I wish I were as smart as you!"

That hurt. The blond could feel his heart clench. He had never heard such words out of Thomas's mouth - words meant to only hurt him, for no other purpose. "You know that I don't think of you like that. I fucked up, okay? I didn't mean to say that but you're reading so much more into this that is just simply not true!"

"Oh, so it is my lack of intelligence that is keeping me from understanding what you meant?"

"That is not at all what I said, and you know it!"

"Are you sure? Maybe I'm just too dumb to understand - have you considered that?"

Newt felt anger growing inside him again. "Now you're just being a total asshole! You know _exactly_ what I mean, you just want me to stay angry!" The blond took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down a little. "Why do you want us to fight?"

Thomas turned around to look at Newt, tears glistening in his eyes. "I don't want us to fight but ..."

"But what?" The blond stopped a foot away from Thomas.

"Did you see what just happened?", he asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"We haven't been touching for only a few hours and now we're already fighting?", Thomas whispered. "What kind of fucked up relationship is that?"

Newt frowned. "What ... ?"

"We only get along when we're close! We can't have normal conversations without fighting as soon as we're out of each other's reach - that's sick!"

"That was just a coincidence. We would have fought eventually - it happens between every couple."

"You sure? Maybe we're just some really messed-up people. Maybe we just shouldn't be more than friends ..."

Newt felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Are you ... breaking up with me?"

Thomas had tears running down his cheeks. "I don't know ..."

"But ... no. No! We're not breaking up! Not over this! This is stupid! Fuck this bloody bet! Fuck that stupid fight! We were great together, Tommy! We were more than that! We were meant to be, remember? We were a couple before we even were a couple! Before this whole thing started - back in College when I still had my personal space issues and everything!" He looked at Thomas as the first tear started to fall. "You don't get to break up with me, not when I just got you." He lowered his voice even further. "I love you. Remember? I love _you_ , Tommy. Not just touching you or- or kissing you. I love you, for being you. I love taking care of you, I love that you kept your inner child and that you didn't let yourself get stopped by my issues. I love that you motherhen me and take care of me because I _do_ need taking care of, I know that - even though I don't want to accept it some times. And I love that you loved me."

" _Love_ you", Thomas corrected in a broken voice. "I still love you, always will." He dropped his skates and stepped forward to wrap his arms around Newt.

The blond dropped his as well and wrapped his arms tightly around Thomas. The thought of losing the brunet had tightened Newt's throat, making it harder to breathe. "Please don't leave me", he said quietly.

"I won't. Never. I was stupid."

"You're not stupid", Newt said immediately. "You're smart - smarter than me." His voice was cracking every few words but he didn't care - Thomas needed to hear this, to believe it.

"As if I could ever live without you", Thomas whispered. "What a dumb idea. I could never live without you." The brunet's voice was unsteady, breaking every couple of words and breaking Newt's heart in the process as well.

Newt pulled back a little and took Thomas's face between his hands, pressing their lips together. It was a kiss so much different from all of their other ones - it was desperate and full of all kinds of emotions. Sadness, fear, need, want and most prominent: love.

Newt pulled back first, far enough that he could see Thomas's face completely focused. He wiped the cold tears from the brunet's face with his thumbs while still sniffing himself.

Thomas wiped at Newt's tears with his hoodie-sleeve that was poking out of his coat.

Newt let out a broken chuckle. "We probably look like we just watched 'Up' or something."

Thomas gave a tiny watery smile. "Yeah." He was quiet for a while, just rested his hand against Newt's cheek. "I'm sorry ... for what I said."

"What do you mean?", the blond asked with a small frown.

"I know that you don't think I'm stupid. That was just my brain projecting my low self-esteem onto you, I know that. But ... sometimes I just can't stop my mouth from saying things I don't mean."

"It's okay, Tommy. I don't blame you. I think my sarcasm goes too far sometimes and I shouldn't insult you like that. I know that I'm a grumpy asshole sometimes. I took you for granted and I shouldn't do that. Nobody should ever do that."

They were both quiet for a while, just looking at each other.

"We should probably get to the house, I'm freezing", Thomas whispered.

Newt nodded and grabbed hold of the brunet's hand, squeezing it gently and getting a squeeze in return.

***************************

Thomas had gotten the house keys from his mother so that they were actually able to go inside this time. They dropped their skates into the hallway and kicked off their shoes right beside them before going upstairs where they changed into sweatpants and shrugged off their coats before dropping onto the bed. They hadn't spoken since Thomas's whispered comment.

Newt had over-thought everything in those minutes: how their relationship had started, how their friendship had started before that and everything in between and he had realized that he had never appreciated Thomas as much as the brunet deserved. He had always made mean comments when he was being sarcastic and he had insulted him during their relationship as well.

They were lying side by side, though not touching. Newt sat up with crossed legs, facing Thomas.

"I'm so sorry", he said quietly. "I'm such an asshole."

Thomas looked up, searching the blond's eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I ... I've never appreciated you enough for all the shit you put up with. I mean ... all the insults? The hurtful sarcasm? The grumpiness and -"

"Hey, hey", Thomas interrupted and sat up, putting a hand on Newt's knee. "Slow down there, buddy." He held the blond's gaze. "Where's all of this coming from?"

"I don't know", Newt started, looking down at his own hands. "I was just thinking about - everything, really. And I realized what a bloody dick I've always been. I don't know how you put up with me, Tommy." He faked a smile. "I mean, I'm such an _asshole_ and you deserve a lot better! Somebody who appreciates you for how great you really are, who appreciates your humor and your happy mood and enthusiasm instead of making fun of it."

"But you do all of that", Thomas pointed out. "You do it in your own way but I know how it's meant and that's what counts, right? Just like I make fun of your grumpiness while appreciating how grumpy you are." The brunet added, trying to lighten the mood at least a little. "I know that you love me, but you do and show it in your own way - just like me! That's why we work." He leaned forward to search out the blond's dark eyes again. "You know that we don't function properly when we're apart so don't be the one to split us up, okay? You were there like ten minutes ago, right? You saw what happened? We were a sobbing mess, cupcake. And I'd rather not see you cry again because of me."

Newt let out a hurmorless chuckle. "Yeah, it wasn't pretty. And I don't want us to break up, not at all. I just want you to know that I appreciate you and that I'll try to show that more. Just ... just know that."

Thomas smiled a little. "I do. Even before you told me, I knew. We're good, Newt. Great even. Just no more betting, please."

The blond let out a small laugh. "Yeah, no more bets. Next bet we make will be us as a team against somebody else."

"Good", Thomas agreed with a smile and pressed a kiss to Newt's forehead. "Now how about a movie marathon on the big TV downstairs and some cuddling?"

"Sounds perfect."

***************************

Thomas's relatives found them curled up together on the armchair with Forest Gump playing on the TV. Newt was curled up on the brunet's lap, Thomas's arms wrapped around him and a blanket draped over them.

"I thought you had a no-touching bet!", Chuck exclaimed.

"It wasn't working", Thomas replied, rubbing a hand up and down Newt's back.

Chuck rolled his eyes and flopped down on his spot on the couch. Jody gave them a relieved smile before walking over to them and pressing a kiss onto each of their heads. "I'm glad you worked it out", she said, just loud enough for them to hear.

"Me too", Newt replied quietly.

She gave them another smile before walking away. Newt looked at his boyfriend.

"Do you think she saw us fight?"

Thomas gave a small nod. "Probably more than just her. I mean, they saw that we weren't talking and then there was me stomping off without you. They probably thought that we broke up or something."

"We almost did", Newt whispered, still not quite able to believe that they had actually considered it, if just for a second.

"Were we really blind enough to think that that was even a remotely good idea?", Thomas asked.

"Apparently ..." Newt leaned forward to press a soft but lingering kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. "Let's never do that again."

Thomas squeezed the blond a little tighter. "Yeah, let's."

***************************

They had a normal dinner before the boys excused themselves from watching TV to go upstairs and be alone for the rest of the evening. Newt didn't feel as shaken as before, though his thoughts were still darker as usual.

They stayed in their normal clothes and just climbed onto the bed. They settled down with Newt's head resting on Thomas's lap while the brunet sat propped up against both their pillows. Thomas had just started to play with Newt's hair.

"I don't think I'd have survived the day without giving up even if we hadn't fought", Thomas said.

"Yeah?", the blond asked with a small smile.

"Yup. Your cuddliness reaches whole new dimensions when you're in my hoodies."

Newt blushed a little and couldn't help the laughter that escaped him. "Oh really? That's good to know." The blond reached out and grabbed Thomas's free hand, playing with the end of the sleeve. "I have a weakness for your hoodies too. I love the sweater paws."

Thomas smiled happily.

Newt looked down at their hands as he tugged a little at the brunet's sleeve. "You're really cute, you know? With the big eyes, the long lashes and the messy hair - I'll probably not tell you this often but you're really bloody cute and adorable."

The brunet blushed. "I'll keep that in mind when you roll your eyes at me the next time. Which will probably be before we even go to bed today."

Newt chuckled. "You know me too well."

"It required a lot of intense studying and deducing so you better appreciate it."

The blond turned a little more serious. "I do. I really really do."

Thomas cocked his head a little. "I know."

Newt nodded and put the brunet's hand that he was still holding, over his own heart before resting his own hand over it.

Thomas had not stopped playing with the blond's hair. "Only two more days", he said quietly.

Newt looked up at his boyfriend. "Yup.  Only little over one day before you can see Tabby again."

The brunet smiled at that. "Yeah. I miss the fluff ball."

"I bet she misses you too."

"But we'll get our own, right?"

"As soon as we get out of college", Newt reassured. "Steve will be just as cute as Tabby."

Thomas chuckled. "I'm sure of it."

They were silent for a few minutes.

"Do you want to search for something to watch while I go shower?", Newt asked.

"Good idea", Thomas replied before leaning down to press a kiss to the blond's forehead.

***************************

They were in their proper pajamas and curled up under the blankets with a dumb horror movie playing on the TV. Newt's head was resting over Thomas's heart and he could feel the brunet's breath against his hair.

"Did you read about this theory that horror movies play in a dimension were horror movies don't exist and that's why they all act the way they do?", Newt asked.

"It would explain a lot", Thomas replied. "Except for their lack of common sense."

"Yeah." The blond stiffled a yawn and felt his eyes start to droop.  He stretched out his legs properly and rubbed his toes over the bottom of his boyfriend's feet, making him squirm and chuckle. Newt laughed quietly before stilling.

Thomas let a hand slide under the blond's t-shirt so that he could touch the bare skin. "You're totally sleepy right now, aren't you?"

Newt hummed in agreement.

The brunet pressed a kiss into the blond's hair and started to scratch up and down Newt's back, making his boyfriend relax completely.

"Everytime you do that I could just imagine you starting to purr", Thomas said with a smile in his voice.

"I would if I could", Newt mumbled, eyes already closed.

"You're such a sucker for back-scratches."

"And you're a sucker for having your hair played with."

"I'm not denying it", Thomas agreed.

"I love playing with your hair ... 's really soft." The blond could feel his boyfriend's laughter.

"I love scratching your back. It makes you all relaxed and compliant."

"You jus' like feeling powerful."

"A little. But I just feel like all of your inhibitions die when I do this. It's like giving you a truth-serum or something."

"Only when you do it", Newt replied.

"Good. I wouldn't trust anybody else with you if it worked for them."

The blond hummed something unintelligable.

Thomas switched off the TV and slid further down the pillow, easily dragging Newt down with him. "How are you holding up, cupcake?"

"'lready sleepin'", the blond mumbled into Thomas's t-shirt.

"Then you won't hear it when I tell you that you won the bet since I pulled you into the hug first."

"I heard tha'", Newt replied.

"I thought you were sleeping", Thomas responded.

"You must've misheard."

"Oh really?"

"Hmhm."

"Cheeky little shit."

Newt pressed a kiss somewhere around Thomas's heart area. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	13. Day 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only have two weeks off before exams start again, which'll keep me busy so here's the next Chapter! Imma get this done now!

**Day 13**

Newt woke up first, as per usual.

He thought about how tomorrow would be their last day here before they'd have to go back to College and face their actual lives. There'd be exams, essays, papers and projects - they wouldn't have the time to spend every minute of every day together, unlike now. And they'd have to tell their friends, though that'd probably be the easiest part.

He raised his head to look up at his boyfriend and lifted the hand from Thomas's heart to his cheek. "Rise and shine, Tommy." His thumb traced across Thomas's stubbly jawline. "Time to seize the day and shit." His fingers drifted into Thomas's hairline and lightly tugged at a few strands. "What would you say to some pancakes and crappy morning TV?"

Thomas squinted one eye open. "You can get some pancakes and bring them up here?"

Newt raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Am I your maid now?"

"No, but you're my extremely lovable and caring boyfriend."

"That doesn't imply that I've got to serve your laziness."

" _Please_?"

Newt looked at him a second longer and sighed. "Yeah, whatever." He crawled over Thomas and almost face-planted on the floor in the process, before patted out the room and down the stairs.

"Did you kill my son or where is he?" Jody asked from where she sipped her tea leaning against the counters.

"I'm getting us breakfast", Newt replied as he got two plates from the cupboard.

"How come?"

Newt shrugged. "I'm actually not quite sure myself."

"Is it because of the fight you had yesterday?"

"No? Yes? I'm not sure." Newt sighed.

Jody set down her cup as she approached him. "Hop on the counter, I'll make the pancakes. You, handsome, need to tell me what happened."

Newt complied and watched her in silence for a moment as he organized his thoughts. "It was just a dumb fight, really. I said something I didn't mean and Tommy interpreted too much into it. There was some yelling and tears and we made up."

Jody threw him a glance. "I'm gonna need more specifics."

Newt sighed. "I said something along the lines of 'I only take care of you because I'm scared of your family hating me' which is obviously not true. And then he somehow came to the conclusion that I think he's stupid? And then he wouldn't let me defend myself or apologize and we started yelling at each other. Then we were both crying and he wanted to break up because he thinks our relationship only works because we're constantly all over each other and that we'd be fighting the whole time if we weren't."

"Sounds intense", Jody commented as she mixed the batter.

"Yeah", Newt breathed out. "It was, believe me."

"So how'd you get him to listen to you?"

"I told him ... everything really. What I think of him, why I think of him like that. I apologized for my behavior in the past and..." Newt shrugged. "That's it, really. I promised to be better, he accepted my apology and now we're good again."

"Did he apologize?"

Newt nodded. "He didn't need to but he did."

Jody frowned at him. "Of course he needed to, he screwed up, too. I know my son, he has the face of an innocent angel most the time, but he's not just that. You shouldn't always give in to him, say 'no' sometimes, keep him on his toes, let him know you have a mind of your own and that you don't always do what he wants."

Newt nodded and there was silence for a while until padding footsteps approached the doorway. They were followed by a sleepy looking Thomas appearing in the doorway.

"Mornin'", he yawned and immediately aimed for Newt who welcomed him with open arms. Thomas wrapped his arms around him and buried his nose between Newt's collar and his collarbone.

Newt squirmed when dark curls tickled his throat. "I thought you wanted to stay in bed."

Thomas pressed a kiss to Newt's throat. "I plan on taking you back there but I was getting lonely on my own."

Newt wrapped his arms around him to pull him closer. One of his hands found its way to Thomas's hair again. "Aw, that's cute, Tommy. We'll take the pancakes upstairs, watch some TV and come back downstairs to help with lunch later, how's that sound?"

"Like heaven", Thomas mumbled. He already sounded half asleep again.

Newt looked back up at Jody who winked in return and offered him a happy smile which he returned.

"Okay, Tom, how about you two make the pancakes yourselves while I go search for my husband?"

"But I'm so comfy right now", Thomas protested. "Just this once, mom, please? I'm still recovering from a stupid fight and I need cuddles."

Jody chuckled. "You're unbelievable. Hold on to Newt, there aren't many out there who could keep up with you."

Thomas huddled impossibly closer to Newt. "I'm not letting him go, mom! You only get this lucky once. Now, pancakes."

"Tomorrow you'll make your own breakfast, just so you know!" Jody replied.

"I know."

* * *

 

They took their plates upstairs and settled down side by side on the bed. The TV was playing some kind of sitcom which neither of them was paying much attention to because of their delicious food.

Once they'd devoured them all, Thomas put their plates on the nightstand closest to him and curled into Newt's side.

"So you were talking about me with my mom", Thomas started. He sounded curious.

"Yeah. Well, we were talking about the fight."

"Care to elaborate?" Thomas cocked his head. "I know she can get a little intense when she wants to get something out of you."

"She just wanted to know why we fought and how we made up." Newt shrugged. "So I told her."

"What'd she say?"

"That we're both stupid and that you're a little shit."

Thomas burst out laughing. "Oh my god", he gasped out. "That sounds like mom, yeah."

Newt grinned back. "Well, she's not wrong."

Thomas wrapped an arm around his boyfriend and pulled him even closer. "She really isn't."

Newt rested his head against Thomas's. "What would you say to spending the whole day in bed? We only leave for food and do nothing else. Then tomorrow, we say goodbye to everyone, visit Tabby and go back to our dorm, unpack, do laundry and everything."

"Sounds like a really good plan. Let's do that."

"I need to brush my teeth first though."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

 

They changed into sweatpants and long-sleeved t-shirts and watched TV until it was time for lunch, which they helped prepare. They ate with everyone else but immediately went back upstairs after. Newt felt uncomfortable at the thought of what everybody else could be thinking they were doing in bed all day.

They were lounging on the bed with Thomas's head in Newt's lap while Newt was reading. Usually, he'd have already read the entire series but thanks to a certain distracting boyfriend, he hadn't had much time for it.

"Do you think we'll fight again?" Thomas asked.

Newt finished the sentence before he looked down at him . "Yeah, pretty sure we will."

"But I hated it."

"Me too. But it happens and it won't get as bad as the first time."

"What if we break up?"

"Then I guess it was because we didn't feel like we should be together anymore."

"That's stupid. We belong together."

"Then we won't ever break up", Newt responded. "Now stop it with the depressing thoughts, you're killing my good mood."

"My brain won't let me stop!"

Newt ran his free hand through Thomas's hair. "Then think about something happy so there's no space for anything else."

"Now there's ' _Never Gonna Give You Up_ ' playing in my brain. Thanks, Newt."

Newt burst out laughing. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Tommy."

"I rick-rolled myself", Thomas whined. "It won't stop!"

Newt almost dropped his book on Thomas's face from laughing so hard, but that expression of pure pain and despair made it hard to calm down. "You should see your face right now", Newt wheezed. "It's priceless."

"Don't laugh at my pain! I think the song's getting louder!"

Tears of laughter ran down Newt's cheeks. "Oh god, I can't ... can't breathe."

"Why do I even know the lyrics to the full thing?" Thomas cried out. "This is the worst!"

Once Newt had gotten a hold of himself again, he was positively surprised he'd still bookmarked the right page with his finger. He put a piece of paper between the pages and put it on the nearest nightstand.

"You need to sing something", Thomas said earnestly. "Anything, I don't care. I just need to change the song!"

"That's a big thing to ask, Tommy."

"I don't care. Do it!"

Newt suppressed a smirk as he tried to think of the most annoying song he could think of. He couldn't take _'Let It Go'_ since Thomas actually loved it but there was one other thing that might just work.

" _Oh baby, baby - how was I supposed to know_

_That something wasn't right here?_

_Oh baby, baby - I shouldn't have let you go..._ "

"No! Stop!" 

"You wanted something else", Newt said innocently.

"Not this! No! It's in my head now! Fuck!"

* * *

 

They kept goofing around for a few hours, not watching TV or listening to music, just lying around in bed, talking and joking around like they'd always done.

"I mean why do they never cast teenagers as teenagers?" Thomas asked. His head was pillowed on Newt's stomach.

"Maybe 'cause of their imperfect skin and stuff", Newt replied. He was lying parallel to the headboard while Thomas's feet dangled over the foot-end.

"Well, it didn't really raise my self-esteem back then."

"Mine neither."

They were silent for a while.

"And how do they do these shots in movies were somebody's looking into the mirror while the camera's pointed over their shoulder?" Thomas questioned.

"That's a bloody good question and I have no idea. How does it not reflect?"

"I don't know!"

"Movie magic."

"Maybe something with green screen", Thomas suggested. "Or sorcery."

* * *

 

After a while they decided to call their friends to tell them about their relationship. It'd spare them from seeing their faces when they found out.

They called Teresa first. She picked up at the second ring.

 _"Hey, Blondie!"_ she said cheerily.

Newt rolled his eyes. "Hey! Tommy's here too!"

_"Well, hellooo Tom! How're you two doing?"_

"We're good", Thomas answered. "And we need to tell you something."

 _"Who did you kill?"_ Teresa asked quickly. _"How did you kill them and where are you?"_

"Shut up, Tessa!" Newt replied but couldn't fight a grin. "We're a couple now, that's all."

They could practically hear the frown through the phone. _"And? I mean, you've been together for what? Two years now?"_

Thomas rolled his eyes. "No, we _told_ you! We weren't dating!"

 _"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourselves that, boys. I know better. Well, congratulations on finally seeing the world how it is."_ She paused for a second. _"And I'm the bridesmaid, no matter what Brenda says."_

"There's no bride", Newt responded automatically.

 _"So you are getting married"_ , she said happily.

"No! Wait! We're not!"

Thomas faked a pout. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Newt reached over to flick his nose with a grin. "Shut it, Tommy."

 _"Yeah, I'm totally gonna be the bridesmaid"_ , Teresa said smugly before she hung up.

Newt groaned.

Thomas laughed.

Next came Minho since they were checking off the worst ones first. _"Newtie!"_  he greeted, sounding excited.

"Hey, what's up? Tommy's here too!"

_"Niiice, how are you Tom-boy?"_

"'m great!"

 _"So what have you two been up to? Oh, wait, I don't think I wanna know"_ , Minho said suggestively.

"Aaanyway", Newt replied. "Me and Tommy are actually dating now, and we just wanted you to know."

_"What? I- I don't understand. What were you doing before that?"_

"We were friends!" Thomas responded. He sounded a little irritated. "What is it with you people?"

 _"Whatever. So when are you buying the rings? And can I be the best man?"_  Minho asked.

"We're not getting married!" Newt called out.

_"Wow, calm down, Newtie."_

"Have you and Teresa been talking?" Thomas questioned.

 _"Just a call on Christmas and New Year's because, unlike you two, we didn't forget our friends"_ , Minho answered.

"That just makes this a little bit creepier", Newt pointed out.

"Maybe they have a mind-link like us", Thomas suggested.

"I think they just hang out too much."

 _"I'm hurt that you didn't call me first"_ , Minho interrupted them. _"I thought I was your best buddy!"_

"Yeah, well, hurting your feelings doesn't hurt me as much as Teresa's wrath", Newt replied.

_"That's a valid reason. Apology accepted."_

"That wasn't really an apology", Thomas put in.

_"Don't start a fight, Tom-boy!"_

"I wasn't -"

 _"Anyway. So I'm thinking silver rings since gold is boring"_ , Minho started.

"We're not getting married!" Newt shouted and hung up.

Next came Alby, then Brenda followed by Gally and Frypan. There was nobody else they felt close enough to to feel the need to share this development.

Everybody reacted similar to Teresa and Minho, but only Brenda brought up a wedding.

The conversation with Gally was shortest since he was a grumpy asshole who'd somehow ended up in their group and never left.

When the call with Frypan ended, Newt dropped his cellphone on the mattress and let himself fall backward to stretch out on the bed.

"This was the most annoying hour of my entire life", Newt remarked.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Thomas laid down next to him. "I think we could've just gone back and kissed in front of them and they wouldn't have batted an eye."

"Probably, yeah. Our friends are bloody weirdos."

"But what does that say about us?"

Newt stared at the ceiling. "Yeeeah ... let's not think too hard about that one."

* * *

 

They helped prepare dinner and ate at the dining table before they went back to their room.

They showered, brushed their teeth and changed into pajamas before they crawled back between the covers.

 _Star Wars Episode IV_ was on TV so they settled on that.

Thomas was wrapped around Newt with an arm thrown over Newt's waist and his legs wrapped around Newt's while his forehead was pressed against Newt's jaw.

"I'm scared they'll fuck up the new movie", Thomas said.

"Yeah, me too." Newt's hand - the one that wasn't trapped between them - trailed up and down Thomas's forearm draped over his middle.

"They could ruin everything with that."

"Like the third Mummy?"

"Yeah! I still can't believe that they re-cast her!"

"It just didn't work..."

"I mean the Episode I through III already decreased in quality compared to the original."

"I know, but hey! I still have hope left", Newt replied. "And there's still _Jurassic World_ to worry about."

"Oh god", Thomas mumbled.

* * *

 

They watched two more movies until the clock flashed midnight and they were both nodding off.

"Today's our last day", Newt mumbled.

"Thank. Now there's Nickleback in my head."

Newt chuckled and switched off the TV. He slid further down the pillows with Thomas following willingly. 

"I would've never imagined that I'd actually be sad the reunion's over", Thomas mumbled.

"You still got me."

"That I do. Now just imagine coming back here with me next year."

Newt groaned. "Let's not think about that."

Thomas laughed and leaned up to press a kiss  to Newt's lips. 


	14. Day 14 + Epilogue

**Day 14**

Newt and Thomas woke up almost simultaneously, though mostly because a loud crash erupted from somewhere downstairs.

Newt's eyes flew open as he sat up as much as Thomas's weight would let him.

When they heard somebody shushing downstairs, they both laid back down.

"Last day", Thomas mumbled.

"Yup."

"People are already starting to pack. Apparently."

"Yup."

They were quiet for a while.

"We should get up, too", Newt said.

So they did.

They got dressed and headed downstairs where a few suitcases were already lined up against one side of the hallway. A few people sat around the dining table while others lounged in the living room.

When they entered the kitchen, it was empty. They made themselves breakfast and ate seated on the counters.

"I can't believe we're leaving this place", Thomas said between bites.

"I can't believe it's only been two weeks", Newt responded.

"I know, right?" Thomas replied right before he fell into a coughing fit. "Crumb in my throat", he croaked.

Newt chuckled. "I guess not too much has changed after all."

* * *

 

They stacked the dishes in the sink and went back upstairs to pack. They brushed their teeth before they gathered all their toiletries and threw them into their duffel bags.

Next came their Christmas gifts, wallets, keys and cellphones.

After they'd zipped up their bags, they scanned the room and checked for anything they might've forgotten.

They'd already made it halfway down the stairs when Thomas froze. "CHARGER!"

Newt watched as he dashed back to their room and returned with his cellphone charger.

Once everything was stashed in the trunk of Thomas's car, they headed back inside and toed off their shoes.

They spotted Thomas's parents in the living room and flopped down in their armchair as per usual.

"All packed?" Jody asked.

"Yup", Thomas replied.

"When are you heading out?"

Thomas shot Newt a questioning look but was only met with a shrug. "Sometime after lunch, I think".

"Alright but don't forget to say goodbye", Mark replied.

"Promise", Newt said. "Oh, and we still have to call Rachel before we visit Tabby."

"Yeah! Right!" Thomas almost threw his boyfriend off his lap in his hurry to get his cellphone out of his pocket. After a few seconds of furious typing and an annoying text alert noise, Thomas pocketed it again. "All done", he announced. "She's expecting us somewhere around two-thirty."

* * *

 

Thomas and Newt helped with lunch, but that day, they didn't have to make as much. About ten people had already left after breakfast which had been preceded by a lot of hugs and kisses and uncomfortable cheek-squeezing. Two of those people, Newt could've sworn he'd never seen before.

They sat around the dinner table and ate between happy chatter.

And after they'd washed the dishes, the others walked off to pack their things.

"Do we have to strip the bed or something?" Newt asked as he dried the plate Thomas had just handed him.

"Nah, the house keeper has somebody come over for that."

"Alright then. So I guess ... we're all ready to leave."

"Yeah..." Thomas sounded a little sad so Newt bumped their shoulders together.

"No pouty-faces today, Tommy. We're gonna have a good time! We'll visit the kitty, get back to college and have dinner without dozens of people watching us."

"It's just", Thomas started. "This place has done so much for us. We wouldn't be together if it weren't for all this."

"I know and I _am_ kinda grateful but I'm also happy to get out of here, not gonna lie." Newt pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. "And hey! You still got me."

Thomas smiled. "Yeah, you're right. And I'll drag you back here at the end of the year again, anyway."

Newt rolled his eyes and groaned. "Please shut up right now."

* * *

 

After the dishes were done, they helped a few people with carrying their luggage and loading their cars before they said their own goodbyes.

Ingeborg was the first to trap Newt in a bone-crushing hug that knocked the breath out of him.

"Oh, my handsome boy, I'm going to miss you!" she cooed. "You take good care of my Tom." She let go after about half a minute but only after Newt had managed to nod and force out a chocked-off 'of course'.

Ingeborg squeezed his cheek with her claws she called fingernails. "You'll come back though, won't you?"

 _Why does this sound like a threat?_ "Sure", he said and tried to hide the pain emanating from his cheek.

She smiled and let go before she grabbed Thomas that had just gotten out of the embrace of one of his uncles.

Newt smirked at the grimace he was pulling before he got trapped in a hug himself. At least it was just Jody.

"I'm gonna miss you, Newt."

"I'll miss you, too." Newt awkwardly placed his arms around her.

"You boys will be good to each other, right?"

"Of course."

"And you should start to train your resistance of his puppy-eyes. I know it's hard, but it can be done."

Newt chuckled as Jody let go off him with a grin.

"I hope to see you again before the next reunion." She smirked.

Newt sighed but couldn't hold back a smile. "I love how everybody just assumes that I'm coming along next time."

"Well, we can all practically see the cartoon hearts." She reached up to pat Newt's cheek. "It's pretty clear this relationship is meant to last for a long time."

"Newt!" came a deep voice. The only warning before he was trapped in another embrace. "My boy!"

"Hey, Mark", Newt got out. "I'll miss you, too."

"Take good care of my son. God knows, he needs it." Mark barked a laugh.

"We'll take care of each other", Thomas replied from somewhere behind Newt.

Mark finally let go and took a step back to wrap an arm around his wife. "Don't forget about us, just because you can't see us every day."

"We won't", Newt replied and smiled.

They waved once more at everybody in the room before they stepped outside and walked to Thomas's car. They took off tailed by a spray of muddy melting snow.

"Do you even know where exactly Rachel lives?" Newt asked.

"Uh..."

Newt rolled his eyes. "Give me your phone, I'll call her for directions."

* * *

 

They eventually reached Rachel's home, a nice little house with a small garden. Toys were visible through some of the windows on the upper floor.

They parked in front of the house and walked up the porch steps to ring the doorbell.

Muffled voices could be heard, followed by footsteps before the door swung open to reveal a short dark skinned girl with braided hair and huge dark eyes.

The girl seemed to be about four years old and cocked her head as she looked up at them. "Mommy!", she called out, even as her curious eyes never left them.

Rachel appeared a few seconds later with a bright smile. "Hey boys! Come in!"

Newt and Thomas hesitated before stepped past the little girl who'd opened the door wide for them. She closed it as soon as they'd stepped through and immediately darted for her mother's legs.

Thomas and Newt toed off their shoes and pushed them next to the others lined up against the wall. Newt noticed four different sizes.

"Who are they, mommy?" the little girl stage-whispered.

Rachel chuckled. "Those are Thomas and Newt. Boys, that little angel here is Suzie."

"Hey, Suzie!" Thomas greeted and leaned forward, hands on his knees. "You're one adorable little girl. Love that hairdo of yours.  I wish I had hair like that."

"I can braid yours!" Suzie suggested. Her smile lit up her face. "My daddy taught me how to do it! It's real easy." She grabbed at one of Thomas's wrists and dragged him along past her mother and Newt.

Thomas looked over his shoulder and gave an apologetic smile to his boyfriend before he let himself get pulled along by a girl the third his size.

"There goes my boyfriend", Newt mumbled before he looked back at Rachel who was grinning widely.

"Suzie will hog him for a while. She always gets really excited when she meets new people."

"It's okay, Tommy's the same."

"Tabby should be somewhere upstairs by the way", Rachel said.

Just then a boy appeared in the doorway Thomas and Suzie had just disappeared through. He was about three years older than Suzie and seemed just as curious.

"Hey", Newt greeted awkwardly.

"Hi", the boy responded and offered a little wave.

"That's Toby", Rachel introduced. "Toby, that's Newt."

Toby nodded. "Nice name. Anyway, Suzie sent me to get you. Something about your hair."

Rachel snickered and Newt's eyes widened.

"If I were you, I'd go. She can be really persistent", Rachel advised.

Newt swallowed and followed Toby up the stairs.

"I really like your t-shirt by the way." Newt gestured at the _Deadpool_ shirt Toby was wearing.

"You know him?"

"Of course! He's a pan icon!"

"I think I like you."

"I'm flattered", Newt replied.

Toby grinned at him over his shoulder before stopped in front of a closed white door. "That's Suzie's room. She's real messy so be careful where you step."

"You're not coming with?"

Toby quickly shook his head. "No way." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at another closed door. "I'm through here. Yell if you need help." Toby quickly disappeared in the room beyond. 

Newt only caught a fleeting glimpse of a yellow wall before he turned back around and knocked lightly at Suzie's door.

"Come in!" Thomas's voice was muffled.

Newt complied and opened the door just enough to step through before he closed it behind himself.

Toby hadn't been lying. There were books, pencils, crayons, paper, clothes, toy cars, dolls and a shit-ton of other stuff strewn across the floor until barely any carpet was visible. The blue walls were covered in drawings, posters and pictures, and right in the middle of the room, on a green beanbag chair was Thomas. Tabby was curled up on his lap while Suzie strategically covered his face in finger paint.

Newt could barely hold back the laughter. "I thought you wanted to braid his hair."

Suzie looked up at him. "His hair's too short." She sounded a little annoyed.

"So I said she could braid yours", Thomas added smugly.

Newt squinted his eyes and tried to convey all his thoughts through the glare. 

Thomas seemed unfazed.

"Come over here and sit down!" Suzie ordered and pointed at the red beanbag right next to Thomas's.

Newt did as he was told, a feat that proved difficult since he didn't want to step on anything important on his way over. Once he'd sat down, Thomas lifted the kitten off his legs and offered it to Newt as silent peace offering. Newt rolled his eyes but accepted Tabby and cradled her against his chest.

"I think she grew since we last saw her", Thomas said and petted the small black and white cat between the ears.

"Hmmhmm", Newt hummed as he ran his fingers over the soft fur.

"Hold still now!, Suzie ordered as she started to brush Newt's hair.

Newt tried to keep as still as possible and only looked at Thomas out the corner of his eye. "How'd you end up with finger paint on your face?"

"She couldn't find an empty piece of paper."

Newt bit his lip to keep himself from smirking.

Suzie dropped the hair brush on the floor and started to roam the ground for hair ties. After she'd gathered some, she told Thomas to hold them for her. Which he did, before Suzie started braiding strands of Newt's hair.

"So how was your Christmas?" Thomas asked Suzie.

"It was great!" she answered happily. "I got _Frozen_ on DVD and the new _Mario Kart_ so now I can play with Toby."

"That's awesome!" Thomas said. He smiled as he handed Suzie a hair tie.

She fastened her first braid and started on a new one. "What did _you_ get?"

"I got the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ box set from Newt and some clothes."

"I think I saw part of that movie once before I fell asleep", Suzie said. She tapped Newt on the shoulder. "What about you?"

"Uh ... I got books from Tommy and a Christmas jumper with a snowman on it."

"I love building snowmen with Toby!" Suzie shouted and tugged painfully at Newt's hair in the process as she bounced excitedly. She was only silent for about five seconds. "How come you call him Tommy?"

Newt thought about his answer for a while. "I don't know. I guess when you really like somebody you just do that sometimes. It's a way of showing affection, I think."

Suzie thought about that for a few seconds. "My mommy and daddy call me cute things sometimes", she said. "I really like that, too. Do you like it when he calls you Tommy?" she asked Thomas.

"Yeah", Thomas answered, smile in his voice. "It makes me feel special."

"Then why don't you give him a nick name, too? Don't you love him?"

"No, no, that's not it!" Thomas hurried to say. "He just doesn't like it when I give him nick names."

"Why not?" Suzie asked and tugged at Newt's hair again as she leaned over his shoulder to look at him.

Newt and Suzie's faces were not even an inch apart and her huge dark eyes looked accusing.

"Uh ... I just don't like pet-names", Newt said weakly.

"How is Thomas gonna show his love if you won't let him?"

"He just tells me."

Suzie looked thoughtful for a second before she leaned back and allowed Newt to breathe a little easier. She didn't comment on the subject again so he guessed she was satisfied with his answer.

Tabby had by now fallen asleep on Newt's lap, curled into herself and pillowed on his folded arms. Thomas was sitting side-ways with one arm resting on the raised part by his side so Suzie could take another hair-tie if needed.

"You're really good at braiding", Thomas complimented her with a smile.

"I know", Suzie said happily and took another hair-tie. "Newt has really nice hair. It's much better than yours."

"I agree", Thomas responded and poked Newt's leg with his free hand.

Newt just felt awkward as he sat there, hair turned into short braids by a little girl, a cat on his lap and his boyfriend next to him with finger paint on his face. That wasn't how he'd imagined his day would go.

"I came here for the kitten and now she's asleep on _you_ ", Thomas commented, pout clear in his voice.

" _You_ gave her to me", Newt responded.

"I thought she'd be loyal enough to come back to me."

Newt shook his head and smiled to himself.

* * *

 

They stayed for about two hours.

Suzie made Newt keep the braids for tea and cookies and then they all played _Mario Kart_ , which Toby won, with Suzie coming in second. All of which mostly because Thomas had declared war against Newt in the very beginning which had made them both spend the whole game keeping each other from going even ten seconds without getting hit by shells and banana peels.

Afterward,Thomas and Suzie removed the braids from Newt's hair before Thomas got to wash his face.

They pet and cuddled Tabby for a few more minutes before they had to say their goodbyes and leave with smiles, waving and promises of staying in touch.

"Your hair's still wavy", Thomas chuckled after he'd pulled back into the streets.

"And your face is still red from scrubbing the paint off."

"Touché."

* * *

 

The drive was long and spent with singing, talking and joking.

They made three stops for bathroom breaks and buying snacks until they reached their college dorm.

They carried their duffel bags up to their room and dropped them on the floor before they shut the door behind them.

"Ah, dust and the smell of smoking brains", Thomas remarked after he'd taken a deep breath.

Newt chuckled as he walked over to his bed and threw himself down face first.

"Now we're officially a unit, we need to rearrange the room a little", Thomas said.

Newt rolled over to watch him push his bed against Newt's before he laid down, his feet hanging over the edge, as he buried his face in Newt's wavy hair.

"All done!" Thomas announced.

Newt pulled back a few inches and studied Thomas's face. Memories of the last two weeks flashed through his mind and made him break out into a smile.

"What?" Thomas asked. He sounded amused as he returned the smile.

"Nothing", Newt answered and pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. 

Thomas opened immediately and tilted his head to deepen it. When they pulled apart, he looked a little dazed. "What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason?" Newt asked and leaned in for a short peck.

"No ... but it felt ... special somehow."

"I was just thinking about the last two weeks."

"And?"

"Nothing. You're just really beautiful and I love you."

Thomas 'aww'ed and pulled Newt closer. He wrapped his arms around him and squeezed him closer between kisses peppered across his face, neck and hair. "I love you, too."

Newt laughed and squirmed only slightly. "You just ruined a perfectly romantic moment, you bloody goof."

"But you looked so adorable and a man has needs."

Newt stilled with a roll of his eyes and cupped Thomas's face to pull him into another kiss. 

 

**Epilogue**

 

"I can't believe you dragged me back here", Newt grumbled as they pulled up in front of the big wooden cabin.

"I can't believe you still fall for the puppy dog eyes", Thomas replied and pulled the key from the ignition.

"Me neither."

They sat there for a while, just looking at the house.

"Sometimes I think I love you a little too much", Newt remarked.

"Nah, you love me just enough. If you loved me any less, you'd leave me in a few years and I can't have that."

Newt sighed and opened the car door to get out.

Thomas followed his example and rounded the car to open the trunk and get their duffel bags. He handed one to Newt before closing the lid and locking the car.

They walked up the front door of the house and rang the door bell. It was thrown open by an excited looking Ingeborg. "My boys!" she exclaimed and opened her arms widely.

"I should really learn to say 'no' to you", Newt whispered as he side-eyed his boyfriend.

"Just remember that I love you", the brunet replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge fucking thanks to everybody who stuck with me through this small journey!  
> I hope you weren't disappointed by the ending.  
> 


End file.
